The CBD market is growing at a rapid pace. With this expansion, you may be hearing products described in a number of different ways. You’ve probably seen terms like “full-spectrum CBD” and “CBD isolate” – and if you are looking into products for the first time, you probably have no idea what these terms actually mean.
As more and more people turn to CBD oil for a variety of health reasons, these descriptions are likely to get thrown around more and more. Understanding the difference between the two is not only important for you to know what you’re looking at on a label, but also to know what exactly you’re consuming. To help you out on your CBD journey, we’re going to bring you up to speed on what they mean and how each type can be useful to your health in different ways.
Will You Fail A Drug Test Using CBD?
Many people worry or feel unsure about whether taking CBD would cause them to test positive for marijuana and fail a drug test. Lots of people are required to undergo drug screenings for jobs, background checks, athletics, and many other things, so this is a legitimate worry that rightfully should be addressed. After all, CBD is a substance from the marijuana plant, whether it gets you high or not.
You can rest assured, however, that CBD alone will not cause you to fail a drug test, or test positive for marijuana. CBD is just one of many chemical compounds found within both hemp and marijuana plants. Along with CBD and THC, there are hundreds of other compounds called cannabinoids.
The key thing to know here is that drug screens do not test for the marijuana plant as a whole. They test specifically for THC, because THC is what gets you high and what can cause impairment. Fortunately, the urine drug test for THC and its metabolites is known to have very little cross-reactivity to cannabinoids that are not psychoactive, such as CBD. Put simply, typical drug tests are not looking for CBD and so ingesting it will not affect the test in any way.
Why Do I Hear People Fail Drug Tests with CBD Products?
With that said, there are reports of people failing drug tests when consuming some CBD products. This, however, is not the result of CBD per say, but the result of trace amounts of THC that can be found in certain CBD products.
In a study of six adults, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers found evidence that a single vaping of cannabis that has a similar chemical composition to that found in legal hemp products, such as CBD products, could possibly result in positive results on the urine drug screening tests commonly used by many employers and criminal justice or school systems. The US Federal government defines hemp as any crop of cannabis that contains 0.3% or less of THC.
This is where understanding the different types of CBD products is important. Although both isolate and full spectrum CBD are similarly effective, assuming they both come from reputable, trustworthy companies like Urban Roots Hemp Co., there is a difference between what is contained within each type of those products.
What is CBD Isolate?
CBD isolate is pure (or isolated) CBD in the form of a crystalline powder that contains 99% pure CBD. All the other plant matter contained in the hemp or marijuana plant is removed, leaving a finished product that’s CBD and nothing more.
In order to fully isolate the CBD, the substance goes through an extensive extraction and purification process that filters out all remaining plant matter. Following filtration, the CBD undergoes what’s known as a “winterization process” that further removes any waxes or other plant materials that were still present after filtration.
After this is all over you have a white powder that is 99% pure. Many people choose CBD isolate because of this purity. It contains no THC (although full spectrum typically only contains trace amounts that aren’t enough to induce psychoactive effects) and is completely odorless and flavorless, meaning you can add it to your morning coffee or daily smoothie.
CBD isolate is ideal for people who are even remotely concerned about a drug test. Isolate products contain no THC and you can be sure that you will not test positive if tested.
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What is Full Spectrum CBD?
In addition to CBD isolate, full spectrum CBD is one of the most common forms that you find in products. Put simply, full spectrum means the entire plant is included. This type of CBD contains all of the terpenes, cannabinoids, flavonoids, and fatty acids found in the hemp or marijuana plant (depending on whether the CBD is hemp derived or marijuana derived).
As we mentioned, marijuana and hemp plants contain a variety of cannabinoids, chemical compounds that act directly and indirectly on cannabinoid receptors found throughout our bodies. The two most well-known cannabinoids are THC and CBD, but there are dozens of others that all offer a host of benefits for different health ailments.
Full spectrum CBD contains these other cannabinoids in addition to CBD itself. There is some debate over whether products which include multiple types of cannabinoids are more effective or offer more benefits than CBD alone. However, CBD itself is clearly the most important of the cannabinoids when it comes to health and wellness, as it is thought to offer most of the benefits of all the other cannabinoids combined.
Is CBD Isolate or Full Spectrum CBD the Choice for You?
At Urban Roots, both our CBD isolate products and all new full spectrum products are effective at delivering the results you’re looking for. With that said, if you are worried in the slightest about being drug tested or failing a drug test for your job or anything else, then you should stick to CBD isolate.
Full spectrum CBD products, on the other hand, could potentially impact a marijuana drug test. Although full spectrum only contains a tiny amount of THC (0.3% or less), there is a chance that could show up on a urine test. So, if you are worried about being tested for marijuana, it’s best to be on the safe side and just consume isolate products.
No matter which type of product is best for you and your health needs, however, the most important thing is that you purchase from a company you can trust. At Urban Roots, we use a third party to test our products multiple times: Initial test by extraction supplier, Raw CBD Isolate tested by us, and a final test on individual products!
We want our customers to understand we take pride in our product dosing, ensuring you're not receiving an inferior dose than labeled. Our tests may not always seem perfect, but rest assured a product will not be available if we do not feel confident in the test result!