From cooking, to skincare, to prescription drugs, hemp and its valuable extracts are used by many people for various purposes.
Some people, however, confuse "hemp oil" and "CBD oil" interchangeably, which can lead to confusion. Despite coming from the hemp plant, CBD oil and hemp oil have different chemical compositions.
Sadly, some advertisers take advantage of this misunderstanding to sell overpriced, ineffective, or misrepresented products.
Can CBD oil be used for pain relief? Is hemp oil effective for treating pain?
Even if they call it hemp oil, most people refer to CBD oil when they say hemp products for pain.
The FDA has not approved CBD oil for pain relief in the United States. Companies that claim CBD relieves pain cannot legally make that claim. However, there are CBD products that also contain pain relievers that the FDA approves.
Are you still confused? This is a complicated issue, so let's explore the details.
CBD Oil: What is it?
Let's get a better understanding of CBD oil by looking at how it is made. Consumers can obtain CBD oils from mature hemp plants whose stalks, flowers, and leaves are grown to yield high CBD levels.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content in hemp must be under 0.3 percent. Other than that, the plant is classified as illegal marijuana.
After hemp is harvested, it is extracted. In this process, workers use ethanol or supercritical carbon dioxide as a solvent to dissolve plant mass. A press is then used to produce crude oil.
In addition to CBD, this thick extract contains terpenes, essential oils, and amino acids, as well as small amounts of THC.
Various consumer products can be produced from crude CBD oil, including full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils. Furthermore, CBD is also capable of being refined into an isolate - a white powder.
CBD oil manufacturers can create a wide range of CBD products using full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and CBD isolates. For example, oral products like capsules, gummies, and tinctures are often used. It is even possible now to take CBD bath bombs in a bubble bath. Furthermore, some products contain CBD and menthol, lidocaine, and histamine dihydrochloride, among other compounds.
Pets such as cats, dogs, and other animals can also enjoy CBD products made by many companies.
Hemp Oil - What is it?
Cold press techniques are used to extract hemp oil from seeds. Because of this, hemp oil is also referred to as hemp seed oil or hemp seed oil.
Vitamins and fatty acids make hemp oil an ideal ingredient for food and skincare products. In any case, hemp oil is not a good source of CBD or other cannabinoids.
The uses of hemp oil are similar to those of other plant-derived cooking oils like canola oil and olive oil. Due to its lower smoke point, hemp oil is not ideal for frying. In addition, hemp oil can be used as a dip for bread or as a salad dressing.
As hemp oil doesn't clog pores, it's an excellent option for skincare. Hemp oil can be applied directly to your skin, or it can be used in consumer products.
Despite being derived from the same plant, CBD oil and hemp oil have very different chemical makeups.
CBD oil is extracted from mature hemp plants by processors. Flowers, pollen, and seeds are produced at this point in a plant's life cycle. It is chemically complex and contains over 100 different cannabinoids, including CBD.
The body's endocannabinoid system comprises specialized receptors and transmitters that interact with cannabinoids and help regulate homeostasis.
The seeds of hemp aren't as complex as the plants that produce them. Thus, hemp oil does not contain significant amounts of cannabinoids.
Is CBD Oil Effective for Pain?
It is challenging to answer this question.
An online poll conducted by SingleCare found that 60 percent of CBD users use CBD to treat pain, while most use CBD for everyday stress. In the meantime, a growing number of athletes are reporting using topical formulas that include CBD as a pain reliever to help treat their muscle pain.
As a pain and stress treatment, CBD is not widely accepted by physicians. This is due mainly to the United States Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) refusal to approve CBD as a pain killer. CBD oil marketed as a pain reliever is illegal.
Only Epidiolex, a CBD-based drug used for treating two rare childhood epilepsies, has been approved by the FDA.
Up until late 2018, where non-intoxicating hemp strains became legal, cannabis was treated as an illegal drug. Researchers have only recently begun investigating the benefits of CBD oil for pain and other conditions.
CBD has been shown to have pain-relieving applications in preclinical studies. Scientists behind those studies, however, argue that more research is needed.
Consequently, CBD has not yet been proven to be an effective painkiller. Human clinical trials can take years to complete.
Is Hemp Oil Good for Pain?
Scientists have not thoroughly studied hemp oil for pain since it contains only trace levels of cannabinoids - this is a critical distinction between CBD and hemp oils.
However, hemp oil contains essential fatty acids and vitamins, making it a healthy dietary choice.
In addition to reducing dry skin discomfort, hemp oil may also be beneficial for addressing other unpleasant skin conditions.
CBD Oil: What to Look for
There are a few key factors to consider before purchasing CBD oil, no matter how you choose to use it.
Consumers are sometimes confused by retailers who take advantage of common misunderstandings. Managing your CBD and hemp oil purchases online and in stores requires a different approach since they are pretty different from one another.
Before you purchase CBD oil with pain killers or any other CBD oil product, there are a few things to keep in mind.
- A leading CBD company clearly labels its products. There should be a list of all ingredients on all CBD oil products. We always include specifics about CBD per serving and other ingredients on our labels, for example.
- Often, shifty CBD oil producers label their products as hemp extract or something similarly vague with several milligrams (mg). However, CBD is not explicitly mentioned. Despite the implication, these products generally do not contain CBD.
You'll find dozens of products on Amazon that make ridiculous claims, such as 120,000 mg of CBD.
Independent lab reports are provided by reputable CBD makers.
Independent laboratories always provide the results of tests conducted on CBD oil by reputable producers and retailers. It is stated if the product has been tested for contaminants and how much CBD it contains.
CBD companies sometimes call these documents certificates of analysis (COA), and they can be accessed via a QR code on the product label or the company's website.
Customers can verify the lab results by comparing the label to the lab results.
False CBD claims are made by dishonest companies.
The marketing tactics employed by a CBD brand can reveal valuable information about the company. Defining CBD as a cure or preventative is illegal under federal law.
A CBD maker cannot make symptom-relieving claims, either. As a result, it's illegal for a company to call CBD a pain reliever. Therefore, CBD brands that make drug claims are breaking the law, which is a bad sign.
People who do not know about CBD sellers, however, can discuss it freely.
The price of CBD oil varies drastically across brands and products.
CBD is often criticized for being so costly. Currently, hemp farming and CBD oil extraction methods are evolving. Accordingly, CBD oil prices are best calculated per milligram.
Think about CBD tinctures, for instance. There are only a few cheap ingredients in tinctures besides CBD. A tincture's price is directly correlated with its CBD content. Generally, higher concentrations cost less per milligram than lower concentrations, despite the cost of the total amount.
For as little as $0.05 per milligram, CBD oil options of high quality are available. CBD products priced at $0.10 per milligram and below are considered outstanding value by many experts. Certain brands, however, charge very high prices without explaining their reasoning.
Pain may be treated with specialized products.
CBD oil for pain cannot legally be advertised by manufacturers or retailers. So, CBD and approved pain relievers are often added to unique pain relief formulas.
As a result, adults can use CBD oil however they see fit. But any new supplement should be discussed with a doctor first. In case of any health concerns or if you are taking prescription medications, you should seek the advice of a qualified physician.
A Final Thought on Pain, CBD Oil, and Hemp Oil
Hemp oil and CBD oil are very different substances. According to our discussion above, CBD oil is derived from mature hemp plants and usually contains various substances.
CBD oil for pain relief is being studied by researchers, but government agencies have not yet approved it. There is no interest in hemp oil for pain relief, even if hemp seed oil may be helpful for a balanced diet and skincare.
There are dozens of articles on our blog about CBD, how to utilize CBD oil in your daily routine, and where you can find CBD-based products. We are also active on social media, and you can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
