| Type |
What it contains |
THC position |
Main reason to choose it |
Our current examples |
One brand can use different extracts across its oils, capsules, gummies and balms. Formulas also change, so the current product description and batch report should always have the final say.
CBD belongs to a much larger family
CBD gets most of the attention, but hemp, or Cannabis sativa L., produces well over 100 known cannabinoids.
Some of the familiar names include CBDa, CBG, CBC, CBN and CBDV. They interact with signalling routes already used by the body, including the endocannabinoid system.
Keeping several of these compounds together provides the idea behind the entourage effect. The theory makes sense and fits much of the feedback we receive, although science has not yet proved that every cannabinoid and terpene combination works better than CBD alone. A 2024 scientific review reached much the same conclusion: the individual compounds remain interesting, while consistent synergy still needs better evidence.
1. What is full-spectrum CBD?
A well-made full-spectrum CBD extract contains CBD alongside a broad selection of other cannabinoids, usually including a tiny measurable amount of THC. Terpenes, flavonoids, chlorophyll, waxes and plant oils may also remain, depending on the extraction and filtration.
No finished oil is untouched hemp in a bottle, as every extract must be processed and filtered. Full-spectrum means that this process has preserved a broad, recognisable range of the plant’s natural compounds rather than reducing it to CBD alone. This is why each full-spectrum brand is different.
Myth 1: full-spectrum means stronger
A 5% full-spectrum oil contains much less CBD per drop than a 30% isolate oil. The percentage or number of milligrams gives you the strength; “full-spectrum” gives you the company that CBD keeps.
The difference between CBD and THC matters here. The trace THC in a compliant full-spectrum food supplement should not make you feel high, although it can matter for competitive athletes and anyone facing workplace testing. Our guide to CBD and drug tests explains the risk.
Whole-plant or filtered?
Whole-plant is not a fourth type of CBD. It is the fuller end of full-spectrum, retaining more chlorophyll, waxes, lipids and other plant material. These oils tend to look darker, feel thicker and have a stronger earthy taste.
A BioBloom customer put it neatly:
For someone trying to capture the whole plant, this is by far the best.
Filtered oils such as CannabiGold remove much of the material responsible for the stronger grassy taste while retaining a broad cannabinoid profile. A CannabiGold customer told us:
There is never any unpleasant aftertaste from this high quality product.
Both remain genuinely full-spectrum. The choice comes down to whether you enjoy the fuller raw character of hemp or prefer something lighter for everyday use.
Full-spectrum offers the widest plant profile and, in our experience, produces the most consistent customer feedback. Its trade-offs include trace THC, natural differences between batches and the stronger flavour of some whole-plant oils.
Full-spectrum had a close call
Full-spectrum extracts faced an uncertain future when the novel-food rules for CBD arrived in 2021. These extracts contain more moving parts than isolate, making them more demanding and expensive to document. Some companies switched to simpler broad-spectrum or isolate formulas.
Thankfully, the suppliers behind many of our established ranges put in the work. Their relevant products reached the FSA public list, allowing them to remain on sale while their applications progressed.
People sometimes call this “FSA approval”, although inclusion on the public list is not final authorisation or an endorsement. The practical result still mattered: genuine full-spectrum oils did not disappear from the UK.
2. What is broad-spectrum CBD?
Broad-spectrum CBD contains CBD together with a selection of hemp’s other cannabinoids and natural plant compounds, while the THC has been removed until it falls below the laboratory’s reporting limit.
Unlike full-spectrum CBD, there is no widely agreed formula for what broad-spectrum must contain, so products can vary considerably. One may retain almost the whole hemp profile apart from THC, while another may contain mainly CBD with only one or two additional cannabinoids. This means that two products both labelled “broad-spectrum” may offer quite different compositions and effects.
Myth 2: THC-free means absolute zero
“THC-free” usually means that the laboratory did not detect THC above its reporting limit. Every test has a limit, so this does not prove that absolute zero exists.
Broad-spectrum reduces exposure to THC and usually carries a lower drug-testing risk than full-spectrum. It cannot promise a negative test. Extra refining may also remove some of the minor cannabinoids and terpenes that a customer wanted in the first place.
Its main advantage is the middle ground it offers: a wider hemp profile than isolate, often with a milder taste and much less concern about trace THC. Its main weakness is inconsistency. Some broad-spectrum products remain richly varied; others contain little more than CBD.
3. What is CBD isolate?
CBD isolate is cannabidiol refined until nearly all other cannabinoids and plant compounds have gone. It usually appears as a white or off-white crystalline powder containing around 98% to 99% CBD. Some manufacturers dissolve it into oil or add it to capsules, gummies, creams and patches.
Sadly, cheap synthetic isolate, much of it sourced from Chinese labs at a very low price, still dominates the mass market, so many people taking ‘CBD’ are actually taking CBD alone without realising it.
Myth 3: pure means better
“Pure CBD” sounds reassuring, but here it only tells us that almost everything except CBD has been removed. It says nothing about the original hemp, the accuracy of the label, contaminant testing or how well the finished product will suit someone.
Isolate has very little hemp flavour, usually costs less and carries the lowest controlled-cannabinoid risk when properly produced and tested. It loses the wider plant profile, and our customers generally report less consistent results from isolate-based products. That reflects more than ten years of customer experience, not a rule that applies to everyone.
We do not currently stock an isolate CBD oil. The CBD Brothers patches use isolate where a simple, flavourless and precisely measured ingredient makes practical sense.
Let the lab report settle it
The front label makes the claim. A batch-specific lab report lets you check it.
A full-spectrum report should normally show CBD, several smaller cannabinoids and trace THC. Broad-spectrum should show CBD with other cannabinoids and THC reported as not detected. Isolate should show almost entirely CBD. No reliable rule says a product needs exactly five, six or ten cannabinoids to qualify.
Check that:
- The batch number matches the product.
- The measured CBD broadly agrees with the label.
- The cannabinoid profile supports the claimed spectrum.
- The report gives the THC result and the laboratory’s detection limits.
- Separate testing covers relevant contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals and residual solvents.
This has a very practical purpose. A 2024 FSA analysis of 100 CBD products found that only 49 matched their stated CBD content. Eight contained more CBD than claimed and 43 contained less.
Our preference after more than ten years
Most of our range is full-spectrum because that is where we see the clearest and most consistent customer feedback. If trace THC causes no concern, a well-made full-spectrum oil is usually our first place to look.
Broad-spectrum and isolate still have a valuable place:
- Choose full-spectrum for the widest plant profile.
- Choose broad-spectrum when reducing THC exposure matters while retaining several cannabinoids.
- Choose isolate when CBD alone, very little hemp flavour or the lowest possible controlled-cannabinoid risk takes priority.
The spectrum cannot rescue poor hemp, inaccurate CBD content or weak testing. Quality starts with honest labelling, a current batch report and a formula that genuinely suits the person taking it.
You can compare our CBD oils and sprays or ask us for free one-to-one guidance. We will help you compare the strengths, flavours, spectra and lab reports without making the choice more complicated than it needs to be.
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Tom Russell
Author
Tom Russell writes extensively about CBD oil and other groundbreaking food supplements. He and his wife share their home with two daughters and a lifetime’s collection of books.