Dr. Christian Jessen answer your question

CBD Extract Natural CBD vs synthetic CBD

British media doctor and health campaigner, Dr Christian Jessen answer your CBD questions. In this video you will find out ‘CBD Extract – Natural CBD vs synthetic CBD’ and other fundamentals about the compound found in cannabis.

DR Christian on 'CBD Extract – Natural CBD vs synthetic CBD'

Natural CBD has been extracted from cannabis plants grown specially for this purpose. The extract may be relatively unrefined, taking advantage of the symbiotic effect of other compounds that may work beneficially with CBD, or it may be highly refined until it contains only CBD. 

Synthetic CBD is created chemically and will contain no plant derived compounds. 

WATCH VIDEO

Your CBD Guide

Take a look at the other videos in the Dr Christian’s frequently asked CBD questions series by BRITISH CANNABIS™

Ask Dr Christian your CBD question, we will be putting more of your questions to the popular health campaigner and TV doctor to answer. Watch the educational, video series to find out more.

BRITISH CANNABIS™ answer your question

We tell you exactly what CBD is..

Is all cbd the same? All you need to know about natural and synthetic cbd – cannabis health news
CBD supplements no longer have to be made from cannabis plants. This is due to technological advancements and new regulations. Can synthetic CBD products live up their natural counterparts?
Legislators have simplified the availability of CBD oils and capsules in the UK over the past year with the introduction novel food regulations. The CBD food supplement industry has been eagerly awaiting the publication of the much-anticipated novel foods exemption list. This will be published in the coming weeks, while they continue to meet consumer demands with uncertainty.
Cbd (cannabidiol), the only ‘cannabinoid” allowed to be sold in food supplements such as cbd oils, is subject to tighter regulations. A host of products that contain trace amounts of other cannabinoids (although sometimes questionable) will not be sold on uk retail shelves.
The industry is now divided into two main product types, natural and synthetic cannabis-derived cbd. It can be confusing to consumers to distinguish between products made from natural compounds and artificially created cbd. Brands are required to list cbd in all ingredients when labelling products. Consumers may not know what they are actually buying.
 
To help consumers dispel the myths surrounding these products, we will examine the differences between synthetic and natural CBD.

Natural cbd or cannabis-derived cbd

CBD extract – Cannabidiol, also known as cannabis-derived CBD or natural CBD, is extracted from cannabis sativa (hemp) and other cannabis strains, if the plant was grown outside of Europe. In recent years, this has been the most popular ingredient source for CBD products.
 
Many ‘full-extracted’ cannabis products contain some trace elements of other cannabinoids, such as cbg, cbn, and thc. However, novel foods regulations allow CBD products to continue on the market. This means that CBD should be the dominant compound in the product.
 
CBD isolate has become a more popular ingredient than full- or broad-spectrum extracts. Many brands choose this method to avoid regulatory issues. A variety of CBD oils are now available that contain only single-molecule CBD, and can be combined with carrier oils like mct or coconut.

What's CBD isolate?

CBD isolate is the purest form of CBD. It contains no other cannabinoids and compounds. It can be extracted from hemp plants using a variety of methods including solvent extraction and lipid extraction. However, the process is more precise and results in a crystal form that can then be ground into a powder. Although full-extracted CBD is still possible, the effects of isolate may not be as noticeable due to the absence of other cannabis phytochemicals.

Environment friendly

CBD extract – Cannabis sativa l (hemp) can be grown outdoors. It is gmo-free and requires very little water. Hemp grows quickly and easily (between 60-90 days per crop), without the need for pesticides or herbicides. Each hectare of cannabis sativa l hemp (hemp) is capable of converting approximately 15 tonnes of co2 via its leaves and stem. This rate is higher than any other commercial crop. This is more than any carbon used in production and transportation.

cbd extract

Economically savvy

Natural cannabis products also have an economic benefit. This is because they create additional work for the agricultural industry. The supply chain is full of jobs, from seeding to harvesting to processing, refining, and testing.
 
A kilogram of CBD isolate that has been naturally extracted is currently available at a cost around one-seventh the price of synthetic counterparts. This means that consumers will see a drop in prices if they go natural. The other phytocannabinoids found in hemp can also be extracted and used in other applications such as cosmetics, which may contain minor cannabinoids.

Benefits from whole-plant operations

Canabidol™ is a British Cannabis™ product that allows you to take multiple extracts of cannabis and expertly combine them to create whole-plant products. These products are made from only 100 percent of cannabis but still meet the regulatory requirements.
 
The british cannabis method is precision engineering. It was developed over six years of experience in growing and studying cannabis. It gives its products the full-plant flavor and phytochemical profile, but without any thc or other illegal cannabinoids.
 
Canabidol™, the leading brand in pharmacy-sector CBD, contains only 100% cannabis phytochemicals. The super-premium packaging has been updated to make this compliant product even more appealing.

Synthetic CBD

Recent developments in the industry have seen brands that use lab-made cbd molecules as their main ingredient.
 
Some manufacturers claim that their synthetic cbd is made from natural resources, such as orange peel. Although these compounds are claimed to be “bio-identical” to cannabidiol, it has yet to be proven that they have the same effects as natural cannabis extracts.
 
Although it is possible to use terpenes from oranges to make molecularly similar compounds to cbd, this still requires controversial chemicals. This is something that brands often fail to mention in their marketing.
cbd extract

A highly pure' product

These brands may be able to sell “highly purified” products to certain consumers. They only contain one compound, which means there is no trace or thc. This process ensures that there is no variation in batches and does not pose any risk of toxicity. Some brands claim that their methods have enabled them to increase the bioavailability of CBD, increasing the body’s absorption and thus producing more effective products.

An entourage effect

Proponents of naturally extracted cbd claim that there is more than cannabinoids to cannabis and that many of the essential phytochemicals in the plant are crucial in creating the entourage effect. Companies with the right approach can still use these compounds, which include naturally extracted flavonoids, terpenes, and aminos. These companies may not be reaping the benefits of cbd oil products synthetically derived from hemp.
 
CEO of British cannabis Tom Whettem stated: “time and again, dating back the original studies that created the phrase ‘the entourage effects’, it has been clinically proven that cbd is not as effective when combined with the many hundreds other cannabis phytochemicals, such as our thc-free, 100% cannabis oils from canabidol. It is clear that synthetic cbd is inferior to full plant extraction. Although synthetic cbd is cheaper to make, it is often more expensive than what is necessary.
cbd extract

Chemical traces

Consumers should also be aware of the toxic chemicals used in the synthesis of cbd. These chemicals are often detected as trace byproducts in synthetic cbd products.
 
Heptane is used in the manufacture of some synthetic cannabidiol product[2]. It is a flammable and hazardous chemical that is frequently linked to side effects such as headache, lightheadedness, loss of coordination, and loss of consciousness. There are also a number of serious chronic health effects that can result from prolonged exposure.
 
The published certificates of analysis of a unnamed manufacturer of synthetic cbd have shown that a residual n-heptane solvent was detectable.
 
Dichloromethane, a carcinogen linked to cancer, is another chemical used in the synthetic production of cbd. The centre for medicinal cannabis found that seven cbd products contained dichloromethane (3.8-13.1ppm), while one product contained cyclohexane (27.9ppm).
 
This hazardous chemical was found in 25% of the products tested. Comparable to natural cbd, which can only be extracted with ethanol and co2, which are approved regulators and can be found throughout the food supply chain.
 
The bottom line is that not all cbd products are created equal. However, the consumer has the right to research and draw their own conclusions to determine which cbd product is best for them.

Share this page