There's some confusion about the difference between hemp oil and hemp seed oil—and it matters which one you buy because they have entirely different health benefits. CBD, short for cannabidiol, is one of the main compounds found in the cannabis plant—which includes both marijuana and hemp—and is making waves for its many beneficial properties that you can take advantage of without the intoxicating effects of the other well-known cannabinoid, THC. Because of its popularity, the number of CBD brands has exploded in the last year or two. And this is great because CBD and other cannabinoids have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that we can take advantage of in myriad ways.
What I want you to look out for are products containing an ingredient called cannabis seed oil or Cannabis sativa seed oil, which is the scientific name for hemp seed oil.
So what's the difference between hemp seed oil and CBD oil?
It's pretty simple: Hemp seed oil comes from the seeds of the hemp plant, and hemp oil (which is also commonly referred to as hemp extract or CBD oil) comes from other parts of the plant that are known to be high in cannabinoid content, mainly CBD. At the end of the day, this means that hemp seed oil won't have the same properties as CBD oil. In fact, hemp seed oil has been used for cooking and other purposes for years and has been available and legal because it does not contain significant amounts of cannabinoids, like CBD and THC, that have the medicinal properties we've learned about.
That said, hemp seed oil is an objectively healthy ingredient; it's just not hemp oil or CBD oil. If you're looking for CBD oil, make sure you're buying a full-spectrum hemp extract that contains beneficial cannabinoids like CBD, CBG, and terpenes. If you're looking for the benefits of hemp seed oil, make sure that's what you're actually purchasing as well.