Word is starting to spread in the medical community as well as mainstream media that cannabidiol, one of the naturally occurring cannabinoids found in marijuana and hemp plants, can be beneficial for specific ailments as well as general health and wellness.
These days, thanks to modern extraction technologies, the purest form of cannabidiol available is CBD isolate. The highest quality CBD isolates can test as high as 99+% pure cannabidiol and are still widely thought of as a relatively new product on the market.
Given how new CBD isolate is relative to other CBD products, we thought it would be helpful to walk CBD newbies as well as long-term CBD users through the not-as-scary-as-it-sounds world of CBD isolate.
Are CBD Isolates Safe to Use?
CBD isolate products sound way scarier than they actually are. If you are in fact a newbie to the recent developments in the world of cannabinoid extracts, using products like CBD isolate may sound risky.
Given the fact that CBD isolates look absolutely nothing like the hemp-derived CBD oils people are used to seeing, it can make these potent-sounding products seem scarier than they actually are.
Because CBD isolates look like white powder or crystals and have absolutely no taste and smell, it is not surprising that newcomers to the CBD space might steer clear of the stuff.
In fact, the white powdery look makes some people assume these products are dangerous or no longer medicinal. These assumptions could not be further from the truth.
What is CBD Isolate?
As stated above, CBD isolate is essentially just cannabidiol in its purest chemical form.
When isolate products are purchased from or manufactured by trustworthy companies, CBD isolate products contain no additives, no contaminants, and literally nothing but what you’re looking for – CBD. That means no THC, which means no psychoactive high feelings whatsoever.
Since cannabidiol isolates are 99+% pure CBD, they’re so pure that they no longer contain any of the other organic compounds like terpenes that are found naturally in industrial hemp or marijuana plants.
Why are CBD Isolates White?
As mentioned above, because CBD isolates look like white powder or crystals and have absolutely no taste and smell, it is not surprising that newcomers to the CBD space might be a little confused about how it can come from a green plant.
If you have already seen or used CBD products that are a dark shade of greenish goldish brown, or CBD-infused products like topicals and edibles, isolates won’t show any resemblance. The reason is due to how they’re made.
How is CBD Isolate Made?
Chromatography, a common chemistry technique for separating a mixture, is one of the most commonly used methods of isolating and purifying cannabinoids, thus producing things like CBD isolate.
This process takes out all of the terpenes, which are responsible for scent, flavor and more. Additionally, chromatography separates out the unwanted cannabinoids such as the most commonly known psychoactive one, THC. Last but not least, this process removes all plant matter.
What you’re left with is beautiful, pure CBD isolate.
Wait… So are CBD Isolates Synthetic?
No. The CBD isolate products that are currently available are actually natural, despite their white crystalline appearance. Even the approved label for EPIDIOLEX, an FDA-approved CBD product from GW Pharmaceuticals plc (NASDAQ:GWPH), notes that “the active ingredient in EPIDIOLEX, is a cannabinoid that naturally occurs in the Cannabis
sativa L. plant.”
That said, CBD consumers should be warned that there is such a thing as fake CBD. It doesn’t have any actual CBD in it and it often contains a synthetic cannabinoid called 4-cyano CUMYL-BUTINACA, or 4-CCB.
The best way to avoid fake CBD products is to order from reputable retailers and brands.
Is CBD Isolate Better than Other Forms of CBD?
We receive a ton of questions as to whether or not CBD isolate is better than other forms of CBD. Not to make things more confusing. but that is actually up to the individual.
Some people 100% prefer whole-plant products over CBD isolate. Those people believe that the full-spectrum entourage effect that is provided by the presence of the other cannabinoids and terpenes and flavinoids and whatnot.
Other people want the purest form of CBD and believe that all the other stuff in there is just unnecessary. Since this argument is still based on anecdotal evidence, we’ll be patiently waiting on the medical and scientific communities to one day settle this argument once and for all.
What is the Best Way to Consume CBD Isolate?
Once again, this is based on the individual. Since CBD isolate has no scent, and no flavor, it is beyond versatile. Some of the most common methods of consuming CBD isolate are:
- adding CBD isolate to a joint to boost its CBD content;
- drinking CBD isolate mixed into a glass of water;
- drinking CBD isolate mixed into a glass of juice;
- drinking CBD isolate mixed into a cup of tea or coffee;
- infusing CBD isolate into olive or coconut oil;
- infusing CBD isolate into honey;
- making CBD isolate gummies;
- making your own CBD capsules;
- and more…
Before you go and whip up an overly potent batch of CBD gummies, it is absolutely vital that you understand the potential power of CBD isolate products.
How Much is the Right Amount of CBD Isolate?
Even if you are used to high doses of traditional hemp-derived CBD oils and extracts, you still may not realize how much more care and calculation it requires to properly introduce isolates into your daily health regimen.
For example, just because you usually ingest 40 mg. of CBD oil per day, doesn’t mean that you should be taking 40 mg. of CBD isolate per day. It is important to remember that CBD isolate is 99+% pure, and therefore a little goes a long way.
Talk with your medical care provider if you are unsure about CBD dosages. They can help you figure out exactly how much CBD isolate you should be taking relative to your goals, weight, and other varying factors. It goes without saying that you don’t want to take too much.
It can help to have a precise scale at home to be sure you’re making accurate measurements. Be careful with kitchen scales though, as they are often not sensitive or precise enough to measure small weights down to the fraction of a milligram.
Not only does having a scale help with precise dosages, but it can also help save money over time so that you’re not measuring your CBD isolate by the “sprinkle” or “pinch.”
Does CBD Isolate Get You High?
No! At least it shouldn’t.
As stated above, the process of producing CBD isolate (and the very definition of isolate) means that everything else is removed. That said, some people that have taken high doses mistake its anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety effects for what is known as a body high.
Conclusion
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