The difference between CBD Oil and Weed Oil – Explanation and clarification about both cannabis

oils!

CBD oil and weed oil are regularly confused with each other, but despite that they are both cannabis concentrates, there is a very big difference between the two oils. So is weed oil, as the name already suggests, made from weed plants or processed weed buds which you can buy in the coffeeshop. Weed plants are known as a psychoactive type of cannabis with high percentages of THC which means these plants are frequently consumed for recreational purposes.

The last years it is however becoming ever more clear that, besides the mind-blowing pleasure that the plant provides to many, it also possesses an lot of (potential) beneficial properties. This applies to both the smoking (toking) or vaporising of the flower buds, as well as for the ingestion of plant extracted oils.

THC makes the difference

This might be an incredibly welcome property of this remarkable plant, but that does not make this completely natural product suitable to be welcomed with open arms by everyone. The problem is with the high concentration of the psychoactive ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol, THC in short, in contrast to the demands and requirements of recreational users.

As is well-known, THC is the cause of a stoned or high sensation which the user experiences after ingestion. And as much as the recreational user would like to have an as high as possible level of THC in weed or oil, people who use it through a doctor's prescription often do not want this. Also the cultivation and usage of weed has been made illegal by the government, although a certain amount is left unprosecuted.

CBD-rich hemp plant for CBD Oil

The usage of CBD

Only when it became known that another component of cannabis, named cannabidiol, might just possess beneficial properties as well, has the popularity of cannabis oil risen enormously amongst the other users too. This as cannabidiol, or CBD, in short, happens to be a component which does not cause a stoned or high effect.

But because CBD never happened to be considered as an important ingredient before and the large demand of recreational users for strong psychoactive cannabis strains took precedence, weed growers have always paid a lot of attention to developing strains with THC-concentrations as high as possible. This has led to the fact that over the years the CBD-level in weed has steadily decreased. This means most weed strains barely contain any CBD. This is however not the case with hemp plants.

Distinction between hemp plants and weed plants

Because cannabis, besides the psychoactive effect, also possesses many more other beneficial properties and is a very important commodity for various industrial applications, the law has made a clear distinction between the different types of cannabis based on the psychoactive effect.

In the Netherlands for instance a legal decision has been established that all strains containing less than 0.2% THC can be legally cultivated for obtaining versatile fibers or extremely healthy seeds. These legal cannabis strains with extremely low THC-levels are known as industrial hemp or fiber hemp. Commonly it is usually just called hemp for short. All other types are classified as the so-called drug strains and are commonly known as weed or marijuana.

Because with the industrial variety the production of high concentrations of THC is exactly the

opposite of what is wanted and to obtain even higher concentrations has therefore never been attempted, the CBD-values happen not to have disappeared (like with weed as compensation for a higher THC-percentage), but have always remained constant

To the left an illegal weed plantation and to the right a legal hemp plantation - Click on the pictures for more info about the differences!

CBD oil is obtained from legal hemp

Since that means that hemp plants possess fairly high CBD-percentages, hemp is nowadays also used as a source for CBD. The legal status and the non-psychoactive property however make it a very popular and desirable product for everybody, both for the young and the old, but also for our beloved pets. The oil obtained from this legal hemp is known as CBD oil.

This means CBD oil is primarily extracted from legally cultivated, certified hemp in which the percentages of THC do not exceed the legal limit of 0.2%. So besides the fact CBD oil does not cause a stoned or high sensation, it does offer benefits and is freely available. Weed oil, also known as THC oil, is extracted from cannabis strains with higher THC percentages, the so-called weed plants, with which the possible occurrence of a psychoactive effect can not be excluded.

Difference in dosing method

The presence or absence of THC therefore determines whether or not the oil causes a psychoactive effect. Because of this there also arises a big difference in dosing method between the two oils. Since weed oil contains high concentrations of THC, very accurate dosing is required. A too high of a dose can easily mean a high sensation and some people even experience a very unpleasant feeling.

Especially with elderly people, small children or animals it is of great importance to avoid a psychoactive effect as much as possible. Imagine for instance the possible danger of falling due to dizziness with the elderly or the possible traumatic experience of animals who do not comprehend what they are suddenly experiencing.

So weed oil needs to be dosed very accurately and with utmost care, while CBD is a lot easier to dose, due to the lack of this psychoactivity. The dosing can also be increased without difficulty, while weed oil often requires a more gradual build-up so the upper limit of getting too high can be determined without any trouble.

Difference in effects

Besides the big difference in the presence of the active ingredient THC or CBD and the resulting

difference in psychoactivity, both oils also offer a difference in other effects. As we have seen, they connect to different receptors in the body. Despite the fact both components can provide a similar effect, they each also happen to have their own unique properties.

In order to get a clear picture of the differences between these two important components, we would like to refer you to the information page: Difference between CBD and THC, where a comprehensive explanation is provided and easy-to-read tables with the different properties are shown. The effect of the oil is however not just solely dependant on the CBD or THC present, but also on the ratios to the other ingredients present, like the other cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids and many other plant components.

What is a full spectrum oil?

Sometimes people think that CBD oil is made exclusively of cannabidiol and because of that will only call weed oil a full spectrum oil. This is however completely unjust because an extract from hemp also contains all sorts of other cannabinoids and various plant components.

A full spectrum oil is important for the presence of all beneficial substances. So both oils are a full spectrum oil, or sometimes also called a whole plant extract. When the oil is obtained from only the flowers and not the other parts of the plant, the oil is called a whole plant extract as well.

Potent hemp flower for CBD Oil

Is there a difference in production method between CBD oil and weed oil?

There are various methods known for making cannabis oil. All these methods are suitable for making both CBD oil as well as weed oil, although certain methods could be preferential for various reasons. This preference could for instance have to do with the purity, the potency, the constituents, the flavour or the costs. The three most commonly used methods of making CBD oil are by CO2 extraction, by means of an alcohol extraction or by means of maceration or infusion. The most pure and efficient extraction however is obtained by CO2.

Which oil has been diluted?

Both CBD oil as weed oil can be used diluted or undiluted, depending on how strong the extract needs to be or how liquid it should be to make it better doseable. An undiluted extract has a thick, syrupy paste-like structure, while the diluted version is more liquid. Because undiluted oil usually cannot be dosed through a dropper bottle, it is often supplied in syringes or jars. Undiluted oil is also known as paste.

As the differences and similarities between CBD oil and weed oil are now clear, it is important to know there are also other names for these oils and some oils have incorrect names.

Other names for CBD oil

Because CBD oil is made from hemp this oil is sometimes also called hemp oil. This should

however not be confused with hempseed oil which is exclusively pressed from the seeds of the plant. Hempseed oil barely contains any cannabinoids and therefore does not provide the same effect as CBD oil and weed oil. On the other hand hempseed oil however is very healthy and provides a wide array of other beneficial ingredients.

Before CBD oil came on the market, the name hemp oil was very commonly used for hempseed oil. Because hemp oil is nowadays an often used name for CBD oil and can thereby cause great confusion, hemp oil in the table above has been indicated as incorrect. Sometimes the term hempseed oil+ is also used. This is regular hempseed oil to which a small percentage of CBD or possibly THC has been added. This seed oil is also known as HZO+ (abbreviation of the Dutch 'HennepZaadOlie' or HempSeed Oil).

Other names for weed oil

As the most important ingredient in CBD oil is the cannabinoid CBD, so is THC the most important ingredient in weed oil. Because of this weed oil is also known as THC oil. Hash oil is a common name for weed oil as well, although this is mainly a common term amongst recreational users.

BHO (Butane Hash Oil) and AHO (Alcohol Hash Oil) are both different names for weed oil too, with the only difference being the method of extraction. BHO is obtained with the help of butane and AHO with the help of alcohol. Hash oil therefore is not, as many people believe, just made from bits of hash or skuff, but can be obtained just as well from weed buds or trimmings. Furthermore there is the popular Rick Simpson oil, known as RSO, a real weed oil and not hemp oil, although he does call it that himself. More information about the different types of oil you can find here: Types of Cannabis Oil.

Different forms of cannabis concentrates

Concentrates in different forms and for different purposes

Due to different methods of preparation hash oil can take on various forms. For instance BHO in hard shards is often called shatter and in soft form often called wax. A fairly new name in the world of weed concentrates is rosin or rosin flower. Rosin is completely free of solvents like butane or alcohol, just like a CO2 extraction. The name derives from the so-called rosin technique, whereby the weed is squeezed with the help of pressure and heat. Rosin can be made real easily at home with a simple curling iron, a piece of baking paper and a little bud of weed in barely 5 seconds.

A concentrate which is not made from dried cannabis, but from fresh, frozen cannabis is called live resin. The preparation of oil out of fresh plants has the advantage that a large amount of the terpenes, and in particular the monoterpenes, are preserved. This contrary to with dried cannabis, in which the terpenes are largely lost during the drying and curing process. The presence of monoterpenes ensures that the extract ends up having a rich taste and aroma.

Especially in the United States and Canada, where people are extensively discovering the wondrous world of cannabis concentrates, all these extracts, which are sometimes also called dabs, are very popular amongst recreational users as well. The Netherlands are a fair bit behind where that is concerned and when people here talk of weed oil, in most cases a weed oil from an alcohol extraction is meant, which usually is not suitable for recreational use. Certainly in the case of diluted weed oil it is not recommendable to smoke or vape the oil since diluting oils like olive oil or hempseedoil are not only unhealthy to smoke, but will also negatively impact the taste.