Every CBD product starts as an extract from the hemp plant. What happens to it next decides which of three names it gets. The name tells you what's in the product, not how strong it is.
Full spectrum
Full spectrum keeps the other compounds the plant makes: minor cannabinoids like CBG and CBN, terpenes, and a little THC. Hemp is limited on total THC, so it's a trace, but it's there, and the lab report will show it.
Broad spectrum
Broad spectrum keeps most of the plant's other compounds and removes the THC. Its lab report should show minor cannabinoids and a THC row reading "ND" (none detected) or close to zero.
Isolate
Isolate is CBD on its own, refined until everything else is gone. It has little taste or smell, so it often turns up in gummies and flavored oils. Its lab report shows CBD and almost nothing else.
- Clarity Broad Spectrum OilNuLeaf Naturals$0.030/mg
- Organic THC-Free CBD Tincture (Unflavored)Joy Organics$0.052/mg
- Enhanced Broad Spectrum CBD Oil, 1,000 mgMedterra$0.065/mg
- CBD+CBG Wellness TinctureCBDfx$0.070/mg
- CBD Oil, 1,800 mgNuLeaf Naturals$0.035/mg
- Deep Rest Broad Spectrum OilNuLeaf Naturals$0.038/mg
Telling them apart
The name on the jar is the brand's word. The lab report shows what's actually in it. If a product says broad spectrum and the report shows measurable THC, go by the report. We list the brand's stated spectrum next to the THC per container from the lab report, so a mismatch stands out.
Which to compare
Match spectrum before you compare prices. A full spectrum oil and an isolate with the same CBD are different products, so a lower cost per mg on one isn't the same thing for less. Filter by spectrum first, then sort by cost per mg.
