Cannabis oils are potent sources of THC which means it will give you a good buzz, but also contains many cannabinoids with therapeutic properties. Find out more about the distinction between CBD Oil and Cannabis Oil. Discover how they are manufactured and learn about their properties and benefits. What are THC and CBD? Or the difference between a CBD oil and THC oil? Discover all about cannabis oils and discover which is best for you!
Cannabis Oil Vs. Hash Oil Vs. Hemp Oil
What Is What With Cannabis Oil, Hash Oil, and Hemp Oil
Cannabis Oil Vs. Hash Oil Vs. Hemp Oil
While smoking might still be the most popular way to use cannabis, we at Cannabis.net think that cannabis oils are the future. Oils made from derivatives of cannabis are becoming more popular both for its medicinal and recreational value. If you want to give oils a try but aren’t sure where to start, read through our guide on the different kinds of cannabis-based oils and their uses:
Cannabis Oil
Cannabis oils generally have a strong aroma, and come in light or dark green and brown colors. Cannabis oils are potent sources of THC which means it will give you a good buzz, but also contains many cannabinoids with therapeutic properties. It is commonly used to treat cancer, depression, chronic pain, and anxiety and is also a powerful anti-inflammatory. Cannabis oil can be applied directly to the skin or consumed sublingually, although many also enjoy using it as an ingredient in cooking edibles.
When consuming cannabis oil, keep in mind that its effects take a while. It’s always recommended to start with low doses then work your way through after waiting 30 minutes to an hour.
Hash Oil
Hash oil is known to be much more potent because it’s a concentrated form of cannabis oil. Just by taking an extremely small amount of hash oil will get you buzzed AF because hash oil contains higher amounts of THC. Hash oil is also known as honey oil because of its golden color. It can be used to make balms or edibles but hash oil can also be smoked, vaped, or dabbed. Hash oils can be applied topically to provide relief from sore muscles and is also popularly used by patients who are suffering from serious, life-threatening conditions thanks to its medicinal value. Hash oil is effective in helping to improve moods as well as stress and pain relief.
Hash oil is known to make consumers get high very quickly, which is why it tends to be more popular with a younger crowd who want to get a buzz in a short amount of time.
Hemp Oil
Hemp oil is made by extracting oil by pressing hemp seeds. Avoid purchasing refined hemp oil, which is colorless and has no antioxidants or vitamins. Cold-pressed hemp oil is usually green in color. Unrefined cold-pressed hemp oil has serious medicinal and health benefits particularly Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids which are needed for optimum cellular health. It has no THC content and won’t get you high, although only trace amounts of it can be found in hemp oil.
Hemp oil is commonly used as an ingredient in health and beauty products. It’s also used in industrial applications such as in the manufacture of plastics, fuel, lubricants, and paint. Hemp oil burns easily so it isn’t recommended for use in cooking. However, hemp oil can be added in dishes that don’t require cooking such as salads. Because hemp oil has no THC content and can’t get you high, it’s sold as a supplement in many
Cannabis Oil vs. CBD Oil
There is a fair amount of confusion surrounding the terms Cannabis Oil and CBD Oil – not least because they are often used interchangeably by mainstream media outlets. There is a great deal of difference between the two substances, however, and it is worth taking the time to understand what sets them apart.
Let’s take a closer look at what these products have to offer and how they compare.
What is CBD oil?
CBD oil is a substance made from cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating extract from the flowers and buds of marijuana, or hemp plants. Cannabidiol is the second most prevalent ingredient in the cannabis plant.
CBD oil products are typically made by combining a CBD extract with a food-grade oil, such as olive, hemp, or coconut oil. Some oils may also contain flavourings in order to make the oil taste more pleasant for oral consumption.
CBD oil is often referred to as hemp oil, and it has gained recognition for helping treat anxiety and PTSD.
What is Cannabis Oil?
Cannabis oil, also known as hash oil or honey oil, is a concentrated cannabis extract that contains many of the resins and terpenes, particularly THC and CBD, that are found in the Cannabis plant. It can be smoked, vaped, rubbed onto the skin – and even eaten.
Cannabis oil is extracted from the flowers, leaves and stalks of the Cannabis plant. It often contains high levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), a psychoactive ingredient that can induce ‘highs’ in those who consume it. THC can increase feelings of anxiety and lead to cravings and addiction. Cannabis oils that contain more than 0.2% THC, or 1mg of THC, are illegal in the UK.
What is the difference between CBD Oil and Cannabis Oil?
The key difference between CBD oil and Cannabis Oil is that the latter often contains far more THC – sometimes up to 90% THC . This is worth bearing in mind, because substances that exceed the 0.2% level are illegal in the UK, and those that exceed 0.3% are illegal in much of the USA. Possession of Cannabis Oil whilst abroad can even lead to lengthy jail sentences .
The great thing about CBD oil is that you get all of the benefits associated with cannabidiol – the fact that it can be used to treat a number of conditions, such as depression, anxiety, pain and pre-menstrual strain – without running into the sort of serious legal trouble than you can expect when dabbling in controlled substances.
CBD Oil that does not exceed the 0.2% THC limit is perfectly legal in the UK – and with Dragonfly, you can have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that all of our oils are entirely THC-free.
Avoid Cannabis Oil. It’s just not worth it.
Sometimes, we round up by saying that it’s really all a matter of individual choice, and that you should make up your own mind based on your own research. Whilst we would never discourage people from looking into things for themselves, the case against dabbling in substances such as Cannabis Oil is just too strong.
You’re far better off taking a substance that gives you all of the wonderful benefits associated with the Cannabis plant without all of the downsides – and the legal trouble that might ensue.
CBD oil & THC oil: What’s the Difference?
THC and CBD are both molecules extracted from cannabis. These molecules are known as cannabinoids, a type of compound that was first discovered in the cannabis plant that can be integrated with the human body. However, while CBD and THC are both cannabinoids, they are both used for distinct purposes and their legal status often differs.
THC Meaning and CBD
THC is used in reference to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, another compound that can be found in hemp and cannabis. The tetrahydrocannabinol part is where we get the initialism ‘THC’. There are other forms of THC, such as delta 8 THC, which is less potent that delta 9. However, THC is used as a general term, which helps keep things simple.
CBD stands for cannabidiol, an ingredient that has exploded in popularity during the last few years and is commonly used in supplements including CBD oils, balms and edibles. According to Global Market Insights, the CBD market will be worth over $1bn by 2027 because of increasing sales in major retail outlets and improving regulation.
THC vs. CBD
The major difference in purpose between CBD and THC is the desired effect. The easy way to think about it is THC is responsible for getting people high whereas CBD will not get you high in any dose.
People will largely use pure THC recreationally for a high that can be sustained throughout the day as an alternative to smoking cannabis.
THC Effects:
- A “high” (euphoria or relaxation)
- Heightened or distorted senses (colours and sound etc.)
- Reduced reaction times
- Impaired coordination
- Increased heart rate
- Memory loss
- Anxiety/paranoia
Pure CBD, however, has no psychotropic properties and is never used to get high. Psychotropic simply means that the chemical affects the mind in an intoxicating way; check out our article on the difference between psychotropic and psychoactive for more information.
The side effects of THC, such as memory loss and impaired coordination do not apply to pure CBD. According to the NHS, pure CBD products “do not carry [the] unknown risks linked with THC”.
Both chemicals can be used in similar products, aside from just raw cannabis. You can find THC in products such as THC oils, THC e liquid or THC vape oils and THC capsules/pills. Many of these products are illegal, because of their intoxicating effects.
We can find CBD in similar products such as CBD oils, vape juices and tablets. These are legal in far more regions, providing their THC level is below a certain threshold.
THC Oil vs CBD Oil
THC oil is best known for inducing the effects typically associated with cannabis: the “stoned” effect, and paranoia. By contrast, CBD has been shown to not induce those effects.
CBD oil will not get you high. If you’ve done your research into CBD, then make sure you look for oils that highlight how much CBD is in each bottle. Our advice would be to avoid searching for terms like ‘cannabis oil’ or ‘hemp oil’ since it only confuses matters.
Admittedly, CBD is popular currently, so it’s likely that if someone refers to a cannabis or hemp oil, they’re talking about a CBD product. However, there’s another end of the spectrum that often comes under the banner of cannabis oil: THC oil, which most people will not be looking for.
Is THC Oil Legal in the UK?
THC oil is not legal in the UK and you won’t find it for sale legally. CBD is legal as long as retailers sell it according to MHRA regulations, which means CBD products cannot contain above a certain level of THC. Most countries limit the amount of THC in the hemp extract used for CBD oils to 0.3% (in the UK it’s 0.2%). If you’re concerned about THC content, make sure you look for CBD oils with a guarantee of 0.0% THC.
See also Green Roads CBD Oil 1000mg Review
Does CBD contain THC?
Technically speaking, CBD cannot contain THC as they are completely separate molecules. CBD oils, balms and other products however may contain THC. CBD oils sold in the UK however, should not contain any THC if they are sold legally. For example, Vitality CBD guarantees 0.0% THC in all CBD products. Independent lab reports confirm this; you can even view these CBD lab reports online.
Is cannabis oil CBD or THC?
Cannabis oil or hemp oil is not necessarily the same as CBD oil or THC oil. Since cannabis and hemp oil is a blanket term for all oils derived from the cannabis plant, it could describe many byproducts. There are hemp-derived oils, marijuana-derived oils, hemp seed oils, THC oils and CBD oils.
CBD and THC: Hemp vs. marijuana
While both CBD and THC are extracted from cannabis, the type of cannabis used can help in obtaining the desired compound in greater quantities.
Cannabis itself just refers to the overall plant family. It’s a genus, in much the same way as Eucalyptus and Rhododendron, meaning it covers a large spread of different strains and species. The two primary species are sativa and indica, but the most important differentiating factor for users comes down to the individual strain.
The key difference between strains of cannabis from a user perspective is the balance of two chemicals: CBD and THC.
From a consumer perspective, this is what matters most when discussing different cannabis strains. The easiest distinction is to split strains between hemp and marijuana. Hemp covers any plants grown specifically for industrial purposes, e.g. rope, paper, clothing and biofuel.
In contrast, marijuana is the terminology used for plants grown for purely recreational purposes. Explore our article on growing hemp and cannabis for more information on cultivating this fascinating plant.
The crucial difference beyond intended use is the divide in CBD and THC levels. Since THC is the main psychotropic ingredient in cannabis, plants grown under the marijuana banner will have high THC levels. Conversely, because CBD isn’t psychotropic, you’ll find it in high levels in hemp plants, which simultaneously have low THC levels.
It makes sense then that THC oil is predominantly harvested from the recreational strains, while CBD products are largely extracted from industrial hemp. Both compounds are then subject to further processes that ensure the levels of either cannabinoid are adjusted accordingly, but you can chart the journey of each oil right back to how the plants were bred.
You may have seen full spectrum CBD, broad spectrum CBD and pure CBD when you have been looking at CBD. So what do these common pieces of terminology mean?
In a comprehensive survey on the current state of the UK CBD marketplace, the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis has revealed some remarkably high user figures across the board.
Find out more about cannabidiol, more commonly known as CBD. Discover the uses and history of these incredibly popular new wellness ingredient.