Howdy! Hope everyone is enjoying the spring weather. We ended our first column saying we would talk about dosing. Yet, dosing is secondary to what type of product it is you are taking. So let’s back up and talk about the types of CBD and then we can talk about dosing amounts and why they can be so significantly different.
In the CBD world products are created with two types of raw material once the plant is harvested and processed. Distillates (there are two of these) and Isolates. We will try to stay out of the weeds here or get too technical. Distillates are comprised of multiple cannabinoids and Isolates are only a single cannabinoid. Hold up, “What’s a Cannabinoid?”. Great question. Think of cannabinoids like vitamins, there are multiple and the more they collaborate and work with one another the greater effect they have. CBD is one of over 200 known cannabinoids.
Ok, back to the types of raw material used to create CBD products. First, we have Distillates. The two types of Distillates are Full Spectrum and Broad Spectrum. The key difference in these Distillates is that Full Spectrum contains THC and Broad Spectrum claims to be THC free. The other type of material is Isolate. Isolate is only the CBD, it contains no other cannabinoids, but also is guaranteed to be THC Free.
So, what are pros and cons to each?
Full Spectrum Distillate
Pros: Best yield of cannabinoids providing greater total health and wellness results
Cons: Contains THC (Federally legal products contain THC under .3%)
Broad Spectrum Distillate
Pros: Has more than one cannabinoid in the extracted oil and limited to no THC
Cons: Not as complete of a product as Full Spectrum Distillate
Isolate
Pros: Guaranteed THC Free
Cons: Only one cannabinoid (CBD), and all terpenes and essential oils are destroyed.
Which product is right for me or my horse? Another great question and that will be included in next month’s column, but first this is very important. All horses that show in any USEF or FEI sanctioned shows should not be actively using a cannabinoid product. If your horse is tested for CBD any of these (Distillate and Isolate) will show on a CBD specific drug test. If you have any questions about how or when to use cannabinoid products within USEF or FEI guidelines contact me directly at cbdexpert@swhorsetrader.com. As always, we welcome all questions and will respond to them in future editions.
Please visit our website, www.tomlusa.com for more information and to also learn more about The PTSD Foundation of America.