Does Hemp Oil Have CBD? A Nuanced Question
So you’ve been comparing CBD and cannabis products and you’ve run across some called hemp oil claiming to have medicinal CBD. Does Hemp Oil Have CBD? Yes and no. But most significantly, no. You see, hemp oil contains trace amounts of CBD, but these are only incidental. Hemp oil itself does not contain CBD since it is made from hemp seeds. This is reflective of the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) position on the matter that claims the people who market hemp oil as CBD do so as a means of taking advantage of federal law gray areas. In fact, the trace amounts of CBD found in any hemp product comes indirectly from leaves and flowers that may be mixed in with hemp stalks and fibers when processing other parts of the plant. You can read the full statement from the HIA regarding hemp vs. CBD oil here.
So, Does Hemp Oil Have CBD? No. Because of this, CBD oil products should never be labeled as “hemp oil” as it is misleading to the consumer. This happens anyway however since labeling CBD products as “hemp” can be a legal loophole for marketing purposes. But quality CBD oil is made from the flowers and buds of high-concentration CBD cannabis strains. It is not made from by-product hemp plant material. Any CBD found in hemp oil is therefore an accident, and it will not give you the benefits of real CBD oil. Does Hemp Oil Have CBD? Only by accident. Hemp oil and CBD oil serve totally different purposes, so any CBD oil called “hemp” is a simple marketing strategy.
Does Hemp Oil Have CBD? The Takeaway
When you are shopping around for cannabis products, it’s important to be discerning. Cannabis product peddlers want your money, and they will take advantage of your ignorance if you let them. It’s a good sign that you are even asking the question Does Hemp Oil Have CBD. The question is made more confusing by a 2014 Farm Bill from the federal government that introduces a provision for taking advantage of ambiguous definitions of what “hemp” means.
This bill defines hemp to include cannabis strains with high levels of CBD but less than .3% THC present in the flowers. The consequences of this bill have lead to research on cannabis that is legally protected since it does not have to be called “marijuana.” But legal and linguistic gray areas are not the concern of the question Does Hemp Oil Have CBD. The question “Does Hemp Oil Have CBD?” is more straight forward. And the answer is no, hemp oil doesn’t have CBD. The only time this would be false is if CBD oil is marketed under the name of hemp, but this would just be a case of false advertising. Always make sure to check product content and ingredient lists to ensure you know what you’re getting.
