It is quite remarkable just how quickly the hemp and CBD market has developed over the past few years. While industrial hemp and CBD are nothing new to our society, consumers are losing their minds over these products. From CBD lotion to hemp protein, the commercialization of industrial hemp is endless.
The widespread growth of the hemp industry is an overall win for our society as it continues to break down the federal barriers to cannabis legalization. Nevertheless, with so many CBD and hemp seed oil products hitting the market, consumers are facing a severe education curve. With the lack of education on hemp and CBD, consumers are stuck wasting money and time on undesired products. Most consumers aren’t even sure if hemp seed oil contains CBD; heck, even many manufacturers struggle with understanding the difference between the two.
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The Importance of Educating the Consumer
While the hemp industry waits for the FDA to establish federal hemp regulations, many CBD and hemp companies are playing within the gray area of federal and state laws. Whether it be making broad medical claims on CBD products or misrepresenting products with confusing marketing terms, hemp companies are taking advantage of the average consumer.
Confusing Hemp Terminology:
- Hemp Oil
- Hemp Seed Oil
- Cannabis Sativa Oil
- CBD Oil
- Hemp-Derived CBD Oil
- Phytocannabinoid-Rich Hemp Oil
Due to the lack of established regulations on the hemp industry, these manufacturers and hemp brands can wiggle around the truth behind their products. All of the above hemp terms are relatively similar and mean close to the same thing; however, they are also very different when it comes to effects, benefits, and applications.
Rather than use direct and straightforward terminology to educate the consumer properly, companies are using their lack of education to push products they may not actually desire. Many hemp products on the market do a poor job of establishing what the product is, compared to other hemp products. For instance, does hemp seed oil actually contain CBD?
Instead of listing on the hemp seed oil product that it does not contain CBD, they allow for the consumer to get confused by the terminology, so they still purchase the product. In turn, wasting time and money of the consumer, as well as providing them a product that won’t serve their desired purpose.
The Basics of Hemp
The hemp plant is a subspecies of the cannabis plant but remains in the same family. Each plant is relatively the same, except for the cannabinoid contents and industrial applications. While marijuana is an excellent recreational plant and used by thousands of consumers for medical purposes, it does not serve many industrial uses. Hemp, on the other hand, is the ideal agricultural crop with a tremendous amount of industrial applications. Industrial hemp has an endless number of uses in our society and hemp seed oil is one of those uses.
What is Hemp Seed Oil?
Hemp seed oil is extracted from the hemp seeds by using a cold-press extraction. This process is nothing new and is used on a variety of different seeds to produce natural oils. Hemp Seed Oil is rich in:
- fatty acids
- antioxidants
- omega-3
While it is a byproduct of the hemp plant, it does not contain any CBD, nor any other cannabinoids. Any product containing hemp seed oil should never state a CBD content, nor be consumed in the place of a CBD product. It is primarily a superfood with quite the nutritional value. The most common hemp seed products are:
- Smoothies
- Juices
- Powder Mixes
- Moisturizer
- Skin Softener
Any consumer looking for a CBD product should refrain from purchasing products listed as hemp seed oil. If any brand or retailer says their hemp seed oil contains CBD, be an educated consumer and find a different product.
Where Is Hemp Seed Oil Sold?
Hemp seed oil is relatively easy to find. Due to its high amount of nutritional value, hemp seed oil is available in:
- Nutrition shops
- Herbal shops
- Convenience stores
- Headshops
- Grocery stores
- Online websites
Hemp seed oil is popular amongst many nutritionists and some consider it one of the best superfoods on the market. Plus, it is an common ingredient in skin care products that are found in lotion shops or websites. Anyone having trouble finding hemp seed oil in stores should be able to find it online.
CBD vs. Hemp
The term CBD oil is rather broad and can easily be confused with a variety of products. CBD oil comes from both the hemp and cannabis plants; however, any CBD oil found outside of a licensed dispensary must be hemp-derived. Granted, any hemp genetics rich in CBD are practically a cannabis genetic bred to maximize CBD content without any THC present, but it’s not necessary for the average consumer to dive this deep into hemp genetics.
What is CBD Oil?
Ultimately, any CBD oil on the market contains high amounts of CBD without all the nutritional value from hemp seeds. For a CBD product to make it to the national market, it must contain less than 0.3% THC and have the testing to prove it. While most CBD oil products are made from a pure CBD isolate, there are full-spectrum CBD oil products that contain a variety of other cannabinoids while maintaining a low THC content.
Consumers and patients use CBD oil for a variety of applications, and many consumers swear by its medical benefit. While it does not contain the same nutritional value of hemp seed oil, it does serve a purpose for many consumers. Nevertheless, do not get the two confused or start thinking anything that says hemp has CBD. It merely is not the case.
Which Is Better CBD Oil or Hemp Seed Oil?
Both CBD oil and hemp seed oil serve a purpose and are excellent products for consumers to look into for personal use. While CBD oil is thought to have a tremendous amount of therapeutic value, it is tough finding quality CBD oil products on the market. Hemp seed oil is not as new to the market as CBD oil but does not contain any CBD.
For that reason, it does not provide the effects that CBD has to offer. Any consumer looking for the effects of CBD needs to consume CBD oil from a legitimate manufacturer. Any consumer looking for a premium superfood with multiple nutritional applications should find hemp seed oil.
Either way, both hemp seed oil and CBD oil are great consumer products as long as the consumer knows what they are purchasing. It is up to the consumer to know that hemp seed oil does not contain CBD and it won’t provide the same effects. However, it is also about time for hemp brands to start making it apparent that not all hemp products are the same.
The next time someone asks, does hemp seed oil contain CBD? Give them a brief hemp education course and let them know what products contain CBD and which ones don’t. It is also a great idea to teach them on the benefits of hemp seed oil for it may be ideal for some to consume both for maximum benefit and effect!
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