Full Spectrum Hemp Oil

The term "Full Spectrum" in the hemp industry currently refers to products based on a resinoid hemp extract with the general composition described above, as clarified by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA). [1]

For CANNACEA, a genuine "Full Spectrum" builds on the above specification by requiring the lab-certified presence of at least the following naturally-occurring hemp phytonutrients:

• All three heat-activated primary phytocannabinoids - Cannabidiol (CBD), Cannabichromene (CBC), and delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The detection of CBD's natural homolog, Cannabidivarin (CBDV), is another CANNACEA Full Spectrum target.
• Cannabigerol (CBG), the heat-activated form of "parent phytocannabinoid" Cannabigerolic Acid (CBGA) from which all other hemp phytocannabinoids get derived.
• Multiple heat-activated secondary phytocannabinoids such as Cannabinol (CBN), which are natural derivatives of the primary phytocannabinoids.
• A wide array of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes native to hemp. Rarely do full spectrum hemp products rebalance their heavier sesquiterpenes with the potent lighter monoterpenes lost during processing. The detection of all "Super Eight" terpenes is another CANNACEA Full Spectrum target.
• Cannflavin A, B, and/or C flavonoids native to hemp.

Subtle differences in extraction methods can lead to significant variations in the completeness of a hemp product's constituency. Please visit our Production page for information on our certified organic extraction processes honed to deliver CANNACEA's Full Spectrum. Our Lab Results from ISO/IEC 17025 accredited labs confirm the genuinely complete hemp full spectrum provided in our products.

(Further clarification on such botanical "spectrum" nomenclature is provided at the end of this page.)

Make sure any Full Spectrum or Broad Spectrum hemp product you wish to take has been lab-validated for how rich its spectrum really is!

The Full Spectrum Difference

Superior therapeutic efficacy by using whole plant extracts over single compounds has been frequently reported in the scientific literature [2-4].  After all, over 70% of "New Chemical Entities" approved as drugs by the FDA from 1981-2010 were either a natural product, derived from a natural product, or mimicked a natural product or its pharmacophore [5]. In the area of cancer, from the 1940s to 2010, 48.6% of FDA-approved cancer drugs were either a natural product or directly derived from natural products [5].

No surprise, seeing as land and marine plants produce virtually all our oxygen and are the fundamental link after the Sun for the entire planetary food chain. Our lives and vitality depend directly on Earth's plant-sustained ecosystems, so it is "only natural" for the majority of our physical medicine to be derived from plants and fungi, one way or another!

Plants transform Source into Sustenance

The importance of plants for our health has been reiterated many times by major government agencies. The USDA describes the importance of eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables for reducing the risks of certain diseases [6]. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements describes how botanical preparations can be used therapeutically to maintain or improve health [7]. In 1994, the scientific research demonstrating these effects inspired US Congress to pass the seminal Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) declaring the importance of ingesting certain nutrients, supplements and plant-based foods for the prevention of various chronic diseases [8].

Within the evidence for the important role whole plant preparations play in optimizing human health and vitality, there is an ever-growing body of scientific research supporting a "full spectrum" approach for the effective use of phytocannabinoids (see below). While single-compound formulations simplify potency standardization, CANNACEA hemp supplements combine the synergistic efficacy of full spectrum preparations with our high-precision analytical formulation processes, ensuring proper regulation of active and co-active compound levels.

Various studies demonstrate a broader range of efficacies using cannabis preparations containing multiple phytocannabinoids and other natural non-cannabinoid compounds compared with single isolated cannabinoids on their own [9-13, 17-18].  This synergistic effect has been famously dubbed the "Entourage Effect" [10]. While preliminarily elucidated by the research we touch upon here, there remains a lot more for science to discover about this potent synergy.

A meta-analysis of 11 observational clinical studies with 670 subjects showed the use of full spectrum CBD-rich preparations instead of purified CBD on its own resulted in more reports of improvement, reduced the average CBD intake by over three-quarters, had less than half the frequency of mild adverse side effects, and had less than one-third the frequency of severe adverse side effects. [11]

Another study focusing on 10 pediatric subjects also showed that compared with using isolated or purified CBD, the use of full spectrum CBD-rich preparations resulted in significant improvements and reduction in adverse side effects. [12]

Another human study analyzing the effects of various phytocannabinoid profiles, particularly CBD:THC ratio, together with varying phytoterpene profiles found a panel of 30 subjects were consistently experiencing specific types of subjective effects in relation to specific chemotypes [13]. This underscores the role various full spectrum profiles play in the effects of hemp supplementation, in addition to efficacy and safety shown above.

There are also several human studies demonstrating how CBD suppresses various side effects of THC when the two are taken together, particularly when more CBD than THC is taken. [14-16]

One animal study showed CBD isolated on its own was limited by a "bell-shaped" intake response for anti-nociception and anti-inflammation in mice (where positive effects peak then decrease again with higher intakes), whereas a full spectrum CBD-rich preparation did not have such limitation and demonstrated continuously increasing effects upon increasing intakes. [17]

Another study took single phytocannabinoid isolates and compared them to full spectrum preparations having one phytocannabinoid at 40% - 70% and the remainder comprised of a complex mixture of other phytocannabinoids and non-cannabinoid compounds.  Various in vitro assays showed significant potency and efficacy differences between the isolates and full spectrum preparations for inhibiting enzymes FAAH, MAGL, and NAAA, responsible for degrading the major endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA) and 2-AG, and for inhibiting the cellular reuptake of AEA. The full spectrum profiles almost always displayed higher inhibition rates than single isolate preparations of CBD, CBG and CBC at the highest concentrations tested. [18]

These are a few of the science-based reasons why CANNACEA offers full spectrum hemp supplements containing a wide array of phytocannabinoids, phytoterpenes and other phytonutrients native to Hemp, to provide you with the synergy Nature's Wisdom intends!