Hemp Oil, Hempseed Oil, and CBD Oil – What is the difference?

CBD may seem like it’s everywhere, but most of the population still hasn’t tried the cannabis compound. According to a survey from SingleCare, only 33% of Americans have tried CBD. Many people are still hesitant to try the cannabinoid because of its close relationship with marijuana or are unfamiliar with the terminology required to make a purchasing decision.

Unfortunately, unethical retailers prey on uneducated, first-time CBD customers hoping they won’t fully understand the cannabis lingo and overpay for one of their products. The most common scam in the industry happens on Amazon. 3rd party sellers pose inexpensive hemp oil or hemp seed oil off as CBD oil, purposely deceiving uninformed buyers into buying a product derived from hemp without any cannabinoids.  

To help new CBD users differentiate between hemp oil, hemp seed oil, and CBD oil, we’ve put together a comprehensive article explaining the differences and benefits of each type of hemp product.

What is Hemp Oil?

Hemp oil or hemp seed oil is an incredibly diverse oil rich in vitamins, nutrients, and protein but does not contain any cannabinoids (cannabis compounds such as THC, CBD). Since 6000 BCE, hemp oil has been used for its natural healing properties.

Producing hemp oil requires manufacturers to cold press hemp seeds. While hemp oil is packed with nutrients and has numerous health benefits, it is cheap to make, especially relevant to CBD. Hemp seeds are inexpensive, and the process of cold pressing them into oil is simple. A gallon of high-quality, sustainably sourced hemp seed oil can be purchased online right now for $56.

Benefits of Hemp Oil

Hemp oil is considered a superfood. The protein-rich oil is a healthy fat consisting of an ideal, 3:1 ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.

According to Healthline, hemp oil is added to diets to help the following medical conditions:

Hemp oil can also be used as an antibacterial agent by inhibiting various bacteria, as reported in a 2017 study.

While hemp oil is an incredible substance, has some of the same benefits as CBD, and is derived from hemp, it doesn’t contain any cannabinoids.

Is Hemp Oil Used in the CBD Industry?

Many CBD companies use hemp oil as a carrier oil; this is where things get confusing, and unethical retailers profit from uneducated buyers. The best way to differentiate between hemp oil and CBD oil is to understand CBD oil and its production.

What is CBD Oil?

CBD oil is created by separating the precursory compound (CBDa) from raw hemp flower and decarboxylating the molecules. The process results in either a full-plant oil or a crystallized isolate. Hemp flower and the extraction process are more complex and expensive than cold pressing hemp seeds.

Once the manufacturer has their CBD, either in a concentrated oil or powder isolate, they mix the CBD with a carrier oil so the product can be consumed. The most popular carrier is MCT oil, but other types of oil derived from seeds are also commonly used in the industry.

Know Before you Buy

The difference between hemp oil and CBD oil is confusing, and it doesn’t help that hemp oil manufacturers are now bottling and labeling their products to intentionally deceive customers. For example, hemp oil is currently on Amazon (they have a ban on all cannabinoid products) in 30ml bottles with the milligrams total labeled in large font.

Hemp oil is excellent to add to your diet, and some of the benefits align with CBD; however, don’t expect to receive any cannabinoids unless you are taking CBD oil using hemp seed oil as a carrier.