Organic CBD Made with 💚 in Eugene, Oregon

March 01, 2021 4 min read

If you’ve been keeping an eye on our product line, you may have noticed that in recent months we’ve started offering products made with “CBD isolate.” 

There are definitely some customers who have been awaiting these products, but others may just be feeling confused at all the jargon in the CBD world.

So what is CBD isolate? And how does it differ from our other products? 

At Kanibi, we want our customers to have options, and to understand what those options are. So here, we’ll explore those questions in depth. 

Read on for the low down on this unique type of CBD.

CBD vs. THC

Before we get into the ways in which CBD isolate is distinctive, we really need to address the difference between two of the main components of the hemp plant. 

Hemp contains hundreds of different chemicals that fall into different categories like cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. We’re beginning to see scientific research that suggests that all of these components are important, but right now we’re just interested in cannabinoids. 

And, while scientists have identified well over one hundred cannabinoids, for the purposes of this article, we’re really just concerned with the two that are by far the prevalent and well researched. Namely, CBD and THC. 

These two cannabinoids have a lot in common. In fact, if you look at their molecular structure, they are almost identical. They both interact with the human endocannabinoid system and have a long list of potential benefits that are currently being researched.

But what makes CBD stand out is that, unlike THC, it won’t make you high. 

This is really important to understand going forward. It’s a big part of the reason that CBD has been removed from the list of scheduled drugs and is federally legal in the US.

Main Types of CBD

Under the 2018 Farm Act, hemp extract is allowed to contain up to 0.3% of THC and still be legal. The amount of THC in a plant is actually the only thing that distinguishes an industrial hemp plant from marijuana. 

Because that isn’t enough THC to make you high, and because it may offer some additional benefit for our customers, at Kanibi we keep that THC in our full spectrum extracts

If you haven’t heard the term “full spectrum” before, it refers to hemp extracts that are rich in CBD but also contain trace amounts of THC as well as other minor cannabinoids and terpenes.

But we understand that some people really need to avoid even trace amounts of THC, so we’ve chosen to offer CBD isolate options as well.

So what is CBD isolate?

Essentially, CBD isolate is pure CBD with all other plant components removed. We begin with clean CO2 technology to extract the hemp oil from the plant. This process is one of the most expensive extraction methods, but it allows for both a clean, environmentally friendly process and a wide range of products.

But that’s just the beginning. Once we have our CBD rich hemp oil, we continue the process, separating out plant lipids, waxes, impurities, and plant particles. We separate the CBD from all the other chemical components, including cannabinoids (like THC) as well as any terpenes and flavonoids.

At the end of the purification process, the only thing remaining is a fine white powder which is 99+% pure CBD. (We test it thoroughly to make sure this is the case.)

This CBD isolate is both very clean and super versatile. It’s odorless, virtually tasteless, and colorless. And some people choose to use this isolate directly. It can be used sublingually (under the tongue) where mucus membranes absorb it into the bloodstream, and it can also be vaped in this form. 

Or... it can be used to create products like tinctures, topicals, and edibles, which is what we do with it.

How is CBD Isolate Beneficial?

So, one big question that you might be asking is: “Why is isolate better than full spectrum?” And that would be a very reasonable question, since all we’re doing is removing, removing, removing - sometimes potentially beneficial components (like minor cannabinoids and terpenes). 

The answer really goes back to our discussion of THC. While it may add some benefit to a CBD product, there are people who really need to avoid it. For example, if you need to undergo drug testing for work no amount of THC is safe. 

This is something that companies that only sell full spectrum CBD oils may not tell you. And it may be true that if you’re only using CBD oil in small amounts (or only very occasionally) then a drug test wouldn’t pick up those tiny amounts of THC.

The problem, when it comes to drug testing though, is that THC is lipophilic. That means that it gets stored up in your fat cells. So over time, if you’re using CBD oil regularly, even tiny amounts of THC could build up enough to cause you to fail a drug test. 

We don’t want this ever to happen to our customers. Hence the CBD isolate option.

So, what are your THC-free options at Kanibi?

Kanibi Pure Isolate Tincture

Our Pure Isolate Tincture is the most basic isolate product we offer. It is really just 99% pure CBD isolate precisely mixed with high-quality MCT oil as a carrier. Plus natural, delicious flavoring. (This is designed to be held under your tongue, so it’s nice if that’s an enjoyable process.)

You can choose between two potencies of either 750 mg CBD or 1500 mg CBD. We don’t mess around with low potency products since it just drives the cost up for our customers without providing any real benefit. We use marked droppers so you can precisely measure your dose of CBD. 

Organi Gummies

Our Organi Gummies are both delicious and THC free. We infuse (rather than coat) them with CBD so that we can be sure that they are precisely dosed with 10 mg CBD each. 

Like all our products, these are double-tested and you can always check out those lab tests on the product page.

Also, at Kanibi, all of our products, whether full spectrum or THC-free, are made with CBD that has been extracted from domestic, organically grown hemp.

Whichever product you choose, we hope you’ll find what you’re looking for at Kanibi!