Full Spectrum, Broad Spectrum, or Isolate

CBD oils, extracts, and products are available as full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or isolate form.

Full-spectrum CBD retains the raw, rich diversity of compounds found in the mother plant, including other cannabinoids, terpenes, phenolics, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids during extraction. If you’re hoping to take advantage of the entourage effect for the most broad range of benefits, opt for full-spectrum products. Don’t worry, the 0.3% THC (or less) found in quality full-spectrum CBD products is not nearly enough to get you high. The product you purchase should have lab results available that show the exact concentrations of every component it contains.

Broad-spectrum extracts are processed to remove the small residual amount of THC. This is a good option if you want to avoid THC completely, such as those concerned about drug testing. It is fairly unlikely for full-spectrum CBD products to cause a THC-positive on an average urine test. However, it has been known to happen. Especially if the THC content in the product was inaccurately labelled, or the person consumed very large quantities of the CBD product.

Isolates are formulated to contain only a single cannabinoid, such as CBD or THC alone. CBD isolate will not offer quite the same bang-for-your-buck as broad or full-spectrum extracts. Yet isolates enable producers or consumers to take advantage of precise compounds if desired. NuVita, our favorite CBD brand, offers some full-spectrum CBD oils that are further infused with either CBG or CBN isolates. CBG (cannabigerol) is said to have additional anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, and intestinal health benefits. CBN (cannabinol) is a sedative and helps promote sleep, so we only use that one before bed