MythBusters: Full Spectrum "THC free" oil ...Is this really a thing?

As marketplace demand for CBD products grows, we've gotten a number of inquiries recently looking for products made or manufactured with full spectrum "THC free" oil. While we certainly appreciate the opportunity to help clients enter the space or expand product offerings, we've found this particular rabbit hole a vexing one - particularly because it's sort of like asking to make a product with rainbow juice, unicorn essence, or distilled water taken from the Narrow Sea off the coast of Essos.

Let's get this out of the way: there's simply no way to create a "natural" full spectrum THC free oil. The science involved in extraction and particularly distillation - at least for now - just doesn't work that way. Yes you can extract and isolate molecules then "re-blend" them, but that's not a natural process. (Side note: I was once told while touring a well known facility they had a "THC dial" on their 10L CO2 machine which removed all THC. Of course it was also mentioned they were processing 50 kilos a day on same said machine... I could only assume they'd hired Santa as Head Extractor as every day would obviously be Christmas).

Not to get into the weeds of extraction methodology - CO2, Ethanol, Butane, or whatever - after the winterizing and decarb, your end product will be an oil containing some amount - even just trace amounts - of THC. Of course this level can vary, but as one continues to remove THC from the natural plant oils, they also remove other essential cannabinoids - cannabinoids that act synergistically with CBD and the body's endocannabinoid system (for the initiated, yes, our government has waged a war on a substance our bodies are born to naturally process).

Now if by "THC Free" you're referring to CBD oil at below the "legal limit" (THC concentration of .3% or less), we're only dealing with a nomenclature issue. Thank goodness because we actually want that trace THC as it will have a synergistic relationship to the CBD and enhance it's therapeutic effects.

So what exactly then is being sold or represented as "THC free" oil? Most likely some form of oil - coconut, hemp, PG (Propylene Glycol), VG (Vegetable Glycerin), or MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) - spiked with isolate. To quickly review, CBD isolate is exactly that: a solid compound which has the molecular makeup that is 96% - 99% or greater CBD. Isolate starts out as oil, but undergoes a distillation and crystallization process which removes all other cannabinoids leaving the CBD molecule behind. Isolate is a cheaper option than Full Spec oil, is essentially tasteless and odorless thus easier to incorporate into products, and frankly consumers looking for CBD don't know the difference. The merits of including CBD alone vs. a Full Spectrum product can be debated another time; it's simply critical to understand these are very different products and a COA will quickly distinguish one from the other.

Unfortunately, Full Spectrum oil for now isn't the cheapest option. CBD isolate pervades the marketplace due to it's reduced cost, and there are many companies out there trying to jump on the CBD bandwagon incorporating isolate into their products (sometimes in doses as small as 2mg per serving) simply to have CBD on their label. Consumers looking for true health benefits (pain management, inflammation reduction, or eczema treatment for example) would be better served to seek and use products made with full spectrum oil.

Long story short, for the most medical bang for the buck, a Full Spectrum oil with High CBD, low THC, as well as trace amounts of other cannabinoids is what you want likely to be using in your products. Working with oil isn't always ideal from a product perspective, and solutions exist which can convert that oil into a flowable powder - much like fine sugar - while maintaining the integrity of the oil's cannabinoid profile (which, ahem, we're happy to help you with and explore). And no matter what you're procuring from a CBD perspective, make sure to ALWAYS get a COA and match the batch to the COA and be sure to test Isolate for any metals or harsh solvents.