Hemp is everywhere.
And there are good reasons why. It won’t get you high, has a good safety profile, and naturally treats dozens of conditions. But there’s a dizzying amount of choice out there, so you’ll need some help finding the best hemp oil. Whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been experimenting with hemp for a while, we’ve got you covered.
We’ll demystify the jargon, clarify current points of debate, and layout some of the scientific evidence of hemp’s benefits. And we’ll help you avoid the snake oil salespeople by giving you some key indicators of a top-quality hemp company.
Which Company Has the Best Hemp Oil?
New hemp companies are starting up all the time — and now that hemp extract has officially been removed from the DEA’s list of controlled substances, we are seeing even more people rush to start a hemp oil brand.
If you’ve done any hemp oil shopping, you’ve probably noticed inflated claims about being “America’s #1 Best Hemp Oil,” “the best hemp oil on the planet,” or about the superlatively pure quality of their product. But how can you know who actually is providing a high-quality product and who is…not?
That’s where we come in. At RAVE Reviews, our job is to sort out the great companies from the mediocre and the truly awful.
Below we will cover the scientific evidence behind hemp and our own methodology for determining our top choices. But for now, let’s take a look at our picks for the best hemp oils.
Kanibi
At the top of our ranking is Utah-based Kanibi, which is on a mission to create high-quality, science-based hemp products with total transparency. Their consciously crafted hemp oil is sourced from organic, Kentucky-grown hemp which is farmed using organic methods. With great tasting products, free shipping, and a 30-day, no questions asked return policy, you really can’t go wrong with Kanibi.
Source / Type: Full spectrum and Isolate from organic, domestically sourced hemp.
Price: $0.09 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: Every product is double third-party, post-formulation tested, with lab reports listed by batch number on the product pages.
Customer Support: Responses to our inquiries were both prompt and robust — we were given thorough answers to every question we asked. They also offer free shipping and a 30-day return policy.
Options: Full-spectrum tinctures come in standard and high-potency options with two flavors to choose from (lemon/lime and chocolate mint).
Other Options: Hemp oil topicals (we are big fans of their Enhanced Sports Cream).
Spruce
Spruce puts the quality of their product over all else as they go boldly without flavor. They claim that the “bitter stuff is the effective stuff” and their customers agree in their abundantly positive customer reviews. They are a 100% USA owned and operated business that ships to all 50 states.
Source / Type: Organic Hemp Seed Oil, Full Spectrum Hemp Oil
Price: $0.11 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: Third-party, post-formulation tested, consistently updated lab results page
Customer Support: Great customer service, well packaged, prompt, and thorough.
Options: Two potencies
Other Options: Hemp oil topical, pet hemp oil
4 Corners
Pioneers of the hemp industry, 4 Corners helped pave the way for companies that want to provide quality products and utilize best practices. They grow their own strain of hemp and make small batches of true full-spectrum hemp oil products. Their prices place them lower down on our ranking, but their highly satisfied customers are more than willing to pay for the 4 Corners quality.
Source / Type: Full spectrum sourced from organic, domestically grown hemp.
Price: $0.20 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: 4 Corners provides third-party, up-to-date lab tests available on their website, attesting to the potency of their products.
Customer Support: 4 Corners has responsive reps, and they replied to our questions within a few hours. They offer free shipping for all orders, but their 30-day return policy is only for unopened products.
Options: Tinctures come in three potencies, with the option of an MCT oil, avocado oil, or glycerin carrier.
Other Options: Vape, pet products, topicals
Joy Organics
Joy Organics is still pretty new to the hemp extract scene, but they’re already making a big name for themselves. This family-run company, based in Fort Collins, CO, provides high-quality, great-tasting, THC-free hemp oil products, and they excel in customer service.
Source / Type: Broad-spectrum (THC-free) hemp oil from organic, domestically sourced hemp.
Price: $0.09 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: Every batch of product is third-party lab tested, with results listed by batch number on the website. Lab reports include cannabinoid potency, as well as contaminants like residual solvents and pesticides.
Customer Support: Joy Organics has fantastic customer service. We had almost immediate responses to our inquiries, and received helpful answers to our questions. And, customers benefit from free shipping and a 30-day return policy
Options: Tinctures come in four potencies and three flavors.
Other Options: Softgels, edibles, pet products, vape, topicals
FAB CBD
We’ve been big fans of Fab from the beginning. This Florida-based company creates high-quality hemp oil products sourced from organic, Colorado-grown hemp. And, their flawless customer service puts them in a class of their own.
Source / Type: Full spectrum from organic, domestically sourced hemp.
Price: $0.11 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: Fab’s website features third-party lab results for most products. They only have a lab test for one of their tinctures though (which shows results for cannabinoid potency, as well as contaminants like pesticides). Customer service pointed out that the same hemp oil is used for all their products, but since potencies do vary, we appreciate companies that show potency testing for all products.
Customer Support: Fab excels in customer service. They offer a 30-day return policy, and are highly responsive to customer service inquiries, both before and after purchasing. There are several ways to get in touch with Fab, including an active Facebook community helping customers troubleshoot their hemp experience.
Options: Tinctures come in three potencies and five flavors (we recommend vanilla).
Other Options: Gummies, topical
SaiBaiDee
SabaiDee is a California-based company making great products for hemp extract consumers. With high standards for transparency, this company uses organic, Colorado-grown hemp and clean CO2 extraction. Their Good Vibes tinctures are reliably potent with a nice range of options so you can customize your dose.
Source / Type: Full spectrum from organic, domestically sourced hemp.
Price: $0.10 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: SabaiDee’s website includes a database of third-party lab reports, listed by lot number. You can match your product with the lab report on the site, and check out the cannabinoid content as well as the presence of contaminants like pesticides.
Customer Support: SabaiDee’s agents sent us fast, thorough responses to our questions. SabaiDee also offers free shipping on all orders and a 30-day, happiness guaranteed return policy.
Options: Full-spectrum tinctures come in three potencies as well as an unflavored option.
Other Options: Topicals, pet products
Plant Panda
Oregon-based Plant Panda is on a mission to provide no-nonsense, affordable hemp oil to the masses, and so far, they are a huge success. But don’t let the super low prices fool you—this is hemp at its finest. The company keeps its overhead low by relying on word-of-mouth advertising and by avoiding fancy packaging and wasteful big-marketing budgets. Instead, they offer a simple solution in the form of top-grade hemp oil without the high price tag.
Source / Type: Hemp oil isolate sourced from organic Oregon hemp
Price: $0.04 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: Easily check Plant Panda’s Certificates of Analysis Directly on the website
Customer Support: To keep costs low, Plant Panda operates with minimal staff, so phone support is not available. However, customers are encouraged to submit a support ticket for prompt answers to their questions
Options: Two potencies of hemp oil isolate oils in three flavors
Other Options: None
CBD MD
Based in Kentucky, cbdMD produces high-quality, THC-free hemp oil products at highly affordable prices. The company uses CO2 technology to extract their hemp from local, organic Kentucky hemp. With free shipping and a 30-day return policy, you really can’t lose.
Source / Type: Broad-spectrum hemp oil from organic, domestically sourced hemp.
Price: $0.05 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: cbdMD seems to be going through a transition with their third-party testing practices. Until recently, they only released a lab report for the hemp oil concentrate they use for all their products, but would not show potency testing for individual products. That seems to be changing. Currently, the only lab report on the website is for their concentrate (and it’s over a year old). But if you contact customer service, they’ll send you a lab report for any product.
Customer Support: cbdMD has great customer service. They responded quickly with informative answers to our questions. They also offer both free shipping on all orders and a 30-day return policy.
Options: Tinctures come in six potencies and four flavors.
Other Options: Capsules, pet products, topicals, gummies, vape, bath bombs
Re: Botanicals
A newcomer to our hemp oils ranking, RE: Botanicals is no stranger to hemp. Founded by John Roulac, a long-time hemp advocate and founder of the organic superfoods brand Nutiva, RE: Botanicals is one of the only hemp oil brands to earn the USDA organic seal. They deserve a shout-out for prioritizing regenerative agriculture, while keeping prices reasonable.
Source / Type: Full spectrum from USDA-certified organic, domestically sourced hemp.
Price: $0.09 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: Each batch is tested by a third-party lab, and you can find test results listed by batch number on the company website. Test results include cannabinoid potency as well as residual solvents and microbiology.
Customer Support: We had a prompt and helpful response to our inquiry within a few hours of sending it. The company also has a 30-day, unconditional money-back guarantee for all their products, as well as free shipping for orders over $49.
Options: Full-spectrum tinctures come in three concentrations and two flavors: natural and peppermint.
Other Options: Topicals, capsules, pet tincture
Moon Mother Hemp
This is the second time Moon Mother Hemp Company has placed among the top 20 brands on our ranking. The Colorado-based company, which was founded about two years ago, sets the bar very high for quality (including USDA-certified organic hemp) without charging the moon for its products. Their tinctures taste so good, you may be sad you don’t need more.
Source / Type: Full spectrum from USDA-certified organic, domestically sourced hemp.
Price: $0.08 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: Moon Mother sends each batch of product to a third-party lab to be tested for potency as well as other contaminants. You can find all of these lab reports on the company’s website. They also added more information about their company processes to the website, so it’s easier to find important information about extraction and manufacturing.
Customer Support: For a small company, their CS is pretty impressive. They responded to our inquiry email almost immediately, and answered our questions fully. Also, Moon Mother offers free shipping over $75 and a 15-day return policy for items under $100.
Options: Tinctures come in three great flavors and four potencies.
Other Options: Topicals, capsules, pet products
Charlotte’s Web
It’s safe to say that Charlotte’s Web is probably the most recognized hemp brand out there — and it’s not all hype. This company pioneered the hemp industry and made it their mission to de-stigmatize hemp by setting the bar high for transparency. They produce and oversee their organic hemp oil products from seed to sale, standing behind them with a solid return policy.
Source / Type: Mostly full spectrum products (as well as an isolate tincture) sourced from organic, Colorado hemp.
Price: $0.09 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: Charlotte’s Web tests every batch of hemp extract product for cannabinoid potency and a range of potential contaminants. If you want to see a lab report before purchasing, you can contact customer service. If you’ve already bought a product, you can enter your batch number into the database and pull up your product’s lab report.
Customer Support: Charlotte’s Web can be a bit on the slow side. We found that it can take a few tries to get a response from a representative, but their answers are always friendly, helpful, and extremely thorough.
Options: Tinctures come in four potencies and four flavors, as well as a new isolate option for those who want to avoid THC.
Other Options: Capsules, gummies, pet products, topicals
Mission Farms
Mission Farms is an Oregon-based brand that controls its products through each step, from planting and extraction through the manufacturing process. They grow their own hemp in Oregon’s dry climate, east of the Cascades, and infuse their line of products with high-quality essential oils to boost hemp’s therapeutic effects.
Source / Type: Full spectrum hemp from organic, domestically sourced hemp
Price: $0.10 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: Each product page contains a link to an up-to-date, third-party lab report identifying the cannabinoid potency for each product. The website also contains a plethora of information about the company and its growing and manufacturing processes.
Customer Support: You can contact Mission Farm by email, phone, or Facebook message. They answered our product questions within a few hours.
Options: Tinctures come in two potencies and four formulations, featuring unique essential oil blends to target different conditions.
Other Options: Topicals, bath bombs, soap
Populum
Populum is an Arizona-based hemp brand that makes hemp oil look (and taste) good. They are definitely a high-end option, and their products don’t come cheap. However, they boast solid customer service and a high level of transparency with robust, widely available third-party testing.
Source / Type: Full spectrum hemp oil from organic, domestically sourced hemp.
Price: $0.18 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: Populum sends each batch of product to a third-party lab to be tested for both cannabinoid potency and for a whole range of contaminants. You can peruse the latest lab tests on their website, and if you order from them, you’ll receive a copy of the lab results for your specific batch of product.
Customer Support: Populum has a highly responsive team, which answered our questions almost immediately. They also offer free shipping and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee for your first purchase.
Options: Tinctures come in three potencies
Other Options: Capsules, topicals, pet products
NuLeaf Naturals
If you like to keep things simple, Nuleaf Naturals may have the hemp oil for you. This Colorado-based company grows their own organic hemp and makes tinctures in a single potency. While their website and bottles are more functional than beautiful, their tincture checks all the boxes when it comes to quality and transparency.
Source / Type: Full spectrum from organic, domestically sourced hemp.
Price: $0.10 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: Nuleaf Naturals posts up-to-date third-party lab reports on their website, showing results for cannabinoid potency as well as a whole range of potential contaminants.
Customer Support: Nuleaf responded quickly to our questions and was very forthcoming with information. They offer free shipping on all products, but you only have 30 days to return products, and only if they are unopened.
Options: Tincture comes in only one concentration, but multiple bottle sizes.
Other Options: Pet tincture
Receptra Naturals
Receptra Naturals is another Colorado-based hemp company that sets the bar high for quality and transparency. Their hemp oil is extracted from the best parts of the hemp plant. This company also offers a range of tincture options, formulated with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to maximize your mental and physical performance.
Source / Type: Mostly full-spectrum products extracted from domestically grown hemp.
Price: $0.07 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: Receptra Naturals’ website has a database where you can look up lab reports for their products. The first time we checked, we got some 404 errors for a couple of the lab reports, but these glitches seem to have been fixed since then. We were able to see third-party lab reports for all their tinctures (though, apparently not for their topicals).
Customer Support: Receptra Naturals is very responsive: We had answers to our questions within an hour. Unfortunately, they do not offer free shipping, but they do have a solid return policy.
Options: Tinctures come in five potencies and one isolate-based option.
Other Options: Topicals, pet tincture
Medterra
If you’re in the market for an isolate-based product, Medterra is a great choice for over 99% pure hemp. The California-based company uses hemp grown under the strict conditions of the Kentucky Hemp Pilot Program and extracts the hemp oil via CO2 technology. Plus, if you don’t like the taste of most tinctures, theirs is truly flavorless.
Source / Type: Hemp isolate sourced from organic, domestically sourced hemp.
Price: $0.04 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: Medterra sends each batch to a third-party lab for testing. Each product page contains a link to the lab report, so you can see the test results for cannabinoid potency, as well as contaminants like pesticides and heavy metals.
Customer Support: Medterra responded quickly to our questions and was forthcoming with information. You’ll have to spend $125 to qualify for free shipping, but it’s pretty cheap otherwise ($2.93 for USPS). They also have a 30-day return policy, so you have time to see if it works for you.
Options: Tincture comes in three potencies, all flavorless.
Other Options: Capsules, topicals, pet products
Hemplucid
When you think of Utah, hemp may not be the first thing that pops into your mind, but Hemplucid wants to change that. The company, which was founded in 2018, sells organic, whole plant hemp oil, extracted from Colorado-grown hemp. And they make a big deal about transparency, from clear bottles to readily accessible third-party lab reports.
Source / Type: Full spectrum hemp from organic, domestically sourced hemp.
Price: $0.13 per milligram
Transparency: Hemplucid is doing a lot right, especially in terms of transparency. They make it easy to find third-party lab reports for all of their products, and they also have a lab report online for their hemp concentrate, including test results for a whole range of potential contaminants.
Customer Support: We had mixed experiences with Hemplucid. With other companies, we had prompt and helpful replies to our email inquiries, but with Hemplucid, we didn’t receive a reply at all. Otherwise, this company offers free shipping and a generous 30-day return policy.
Options: Tinctures come in four potencies, and you can choose between an MCT oil or hemp seed oil carrier, or their water soluble option.
Other Options: Vape, gummies, capsules, topicals, concentrates
Pure Relief
Based in North Carolina, Pure Relief is relatively new to the hemp industry. They create high-quality hemp oil products at reasonable prices, and they’re not afraid to experiment. Pure Relief sells both standard hemp fare like tinctures and topicals, but also offers more unconventional products like hemp Pre-Rolls.
Source / Type: Full spectrum from domestically sourced, organic hemp
Price: $0.05 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: Pure Relief provides third-party, up-to-date lab tests for all products on their website. However, there is some conflicting information about the presence of THC in the FAQs, which should be clarified.
Customer Support: We had fast, helpful responses from Pure Relief’s CS reps. Unfortunately, the company doesn’t offer free shipping (though shipping costs weren’t unreasonably high), and their return policy only pertains to unused items.
Options: Tinctures come in two potencies and two flavors.
Other Options: Topicals, pet products, pre-rolls, vape
Green Roads
A Florida-based company that frequently makes its way onto hemp oil rankings, Green Roads has made their reputation on pharmacist-formulated hemp products and has high standards for transparency. The company produces a huge range of broad-spectrum hemp products made from organic, Colorado-grown, CO2-extracted hemp.
Source / Type: Broad-spectrum hemp from organic, domestically sourced hemp.
Price: $0.12 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: Every product is tested by a third-party lab for cannabinoid potency and potential contaminants like pesticides and residual solvents. You can find these results on the company website’s product pages.
Customer Support: We received fast and helpful responses to our questions. The company offers free shipping over $100, otherwise shipping is pretty expensive at $9.95. The return policy is also fairly strict and only pertains to unopened items.
Options: Tinctures come in seven potencies.
Other Options: Capsules, topicals, gummies, tea, coffee, pet products
CBDistillery
CBDistillery is a pioneering Colorado-based company that sells a bit of everything hemp-related. From tinctures (of many potencies) to vapes and edibles, CBDistillery manages to keep prices low, while using high-quality hemp for their wide range of products.
Source / Type: Both isolate-based and full-spectrum hemp oil from organic, domestically sourced hemp.
Price: $0.05 per milligram hemp oil
Transparency: CBDistillery is doing a great job when it comes to testing. This company’s website has had third-party lab reports for all their products for a long time, but now they are moving toward putting QR codes on all products, so you can check the lab report for your specific batch.
Customer Support: We’ve always received fast, informative responses to our queries about products and practices, but there are definitely customers out there who have not. A quick perusal of reviews shows customers who had issues with unaddressed orders. It’s hard to know exactly what the problem is in these situations, but the company’s strict return policy (seven days for unopened products only) probably doesn’t help. It should be noted that the company has a solid base of very satisfied customers as well.
Options: Tinctures come in five potencies, and you can choose between a full-spectrum or isolate-based (THC-free) formula
Other Options: Vape, edibles, topicals, concentrates, pet products, concentrates
How Did We Pick the 20 Best Hemp Oils?
The hemp industry is changing fast, and a ton of new hemp oil companies have come online in the last several months. Many of these companies are destined to be a flash in the pan, but some are working hard to make great hemp oil products — and are in it for the long haul.
For our update of the Best Hemp Oil, we also continued to tinker with our methodology. With increased competition comes a higher standard of quality and transparency, and we want to make sure we’re paying attention to the changing hemp industry landscape.
What didn’t change is that the quality of the hemp oil itself remains paramount. We continued to reward companies that take the quality of their products seriously, so we still gave more weight to the quality of the product than any other category.
Beyond the quality of the actual hemp extract companies use, we looked at several other factors that indicate a company culture of integrity and customer care. These factors include transparency (it’s hard to over-emphasize this in an unregulated market), the website experience, customer service, and the value for your dollar.
We spent hours and hours combing through websites, talking to customer service reps, and compiling numbers. Here’s the breakdown of how we came up with our list of the 25 best hemp oils:
Quality
Source: Where the hemp was grown
We started with the source. In the past, it was difficult to obtain American-grown hemp, but the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills have revolutionized hemp agriculture in the U.S.
It’s true that you can grow hemp almost anywhere, but because of the regulations set out by the Farm Bills, U.S. hemp is grown under stricter conditions than many other countries. As a result, companies that source domestically grown hemp received higher points.
We also gave points to companies that grow their own hemp, since having seed to sale control over the product allows companies to strictly monitor quality. It also requires a deep investment in time, energy, and money.
Source: How the hemp was grown
It’s still extremely difficult to acquire USDA-certified organic hemp, but it’s not impossible. Top marks went to the four companies that use USDA-certified organic hemp, and were willing to provide us with verification.
Most companies, though, do not have access to USDA organic certification, so we inquired into growing practices, such as whether farmers spray their crops with pesticides, fungicides, or chemical fertilizers. It is important that no companies using non-organic hemp made it onto our ranking.
Type of Hemp Oil
We continued to rate each product based on the type of hemp used: isolate, full-spectrum, or broad-spectrum. We know there’s a lot of debate around which form is actually best, but we gave points to hemp oils that contain a range of cannabinoids.
While there are certainly good reasons for choosing an isolate, there is evidence that hemp works better in combination with other cannabinoids (this is called the “entourage effect”). We gave a full-spectrum or broad-spectrum hemp oil higher points than an isolate-based tincture.
(Just as a refresher, full-spectrum tinctures include the full range of cannabinoids, including THC. Broad-spectrum hemp oil should include a range of cannabinoids, but minus the THC, which is generally what people using isolates are trying to avoid.)
Flavor
And then there’s flavor, which is subjective, of course, so we didn’t give too much weight to this category. But because there are companies working hard to make their tinctures palatable, we gave higher points to companies with tinctures that didn’t make us cringe.
Transparency
Even with the recent clarification of hemp’s legal status, the government still doesn’t regulate the quality or consistency of hemp products, so it’s vital that companies are forthright with their sourcing and manufacturing processes. For this category, we put a lot of weight on how companies deal with third-party lab testing.
First, we rated them on how easy it is to find those lab test results (COAs), with the highest marks going to companies that go to the trouble of displaying them (and keeping them updated) on their websites.
We also gave higher points to companies whose COAs give more information than the absolute minimum. All lab tests should determine cannabinoid potencies, but we really appreciated companies that also let us see testing results for contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals, and residual solvents.
For this ranking update, we also looked at whether companies provide third-party lab tests for their products post-formulation or if they just test the source isolate or hemp extract going into their products. Nobody can test every single bottle of product, but samples of each product can be tested for cannabinoid potency.
More and more companies are taking this extra step, and we wanted to make sure they got top marks for their efforts.
We also gave points to companies that make it really easy to find information on extraction, sourcing, and manufacturing practices.
Value
While quality is super important, most of us have to pay attention to the price of the product as well. So to calculate the product value, we weighed its price against its quality score.
For consistency, we used the price per milligram of hemp of the company’s highest potency tincture.
Website Experience
Again, quality is important, but we’ve all had a lousy shopping experience that totally eroded the value of the product.
For this portion of our research, we spent a lot of time perusing websites. We went through the entire shopping experience, from searching the website for products right through to the checkout process to catch glitches and snags.
We looked for key information, good product pages, and well-organized FAQ pages. We tracked how fast or slow the website is and made note of broken links or conflicting information.
Customer Service
Customer service can truly make or break a company. With so much competition in the hemp industry, it’s imperative that companies provide top-notch service.
To evaluate this factor, we posed as customers. We took note of the number of ways to get in touch with a company, and then we sent out customer service emails asking questions about their products or processes.
Top marks went to companies that responded quickly and gave helpful, informative answers (and didn’t dodge our questions).
We also looked into shipping costs and return policies. These vary a lot, and it’s important to know if a company’s 30-day return policy will cover the bottle of tincture you just opened.
And the results are in! Our updated ranking includes seven new companies: RE: Botanicals, Joy Organics, Mission Farms, SabaiDee, Hoboken Hemp Co., Tikun Hemp, and Seabedee.
Other companies have lowered (or raised) prices, updated their websites, added free shipping, or changed their third-party testing practices, so there was a significant amount of movement up and down the ranking.
One caveat: No two hemp products are alike. Each company’s hemp oil has a different cannabinoid profile (you should be able to see the cannabinoid profile in the COAs) so in a sense, we’re comparing apples to oranges (or maybe Honeycrisp apples to Granny Smiths).
In the world of hemp, there’s no way to avoid some experimentation. If a company’s tincture just doesn’t do it for you, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re doing something wrong. It may just mean that another company’s cannabinoid profile works better for you.
The best product for you may not be the one on the top of our list.
We feel confident, though, that all the companies on this ranking are creating high-quality hemp products. So if you have questions about a company’s products or processes, don’t hesitate to get in touch with customer service representatives. They are there for you (or should be), and if you feel like you’re getting the run-around, look elsewhere.
We hope this ranking makes your shopping experience a bit easier, and that you find a hemp product that makes your endocannabinoid system happy!
— RAVE’s Hemp Oil User Guide —
What Is Hemp?
In short, Cannabidiol — or hemp oil— is a cannabis compound that has many therapeutic benefits.
Usually extracted from the leaves and flowers of hemp plants — though marijuana can also be a source — hemp oil is then incorporated into an array of marketable products. These products vary from the most common, like sublingual oils, gummies and topical lotions, to the less common (think hemp lattes). Basically, if you can dream it, you can buy it.
Keep in mind that “hemp oil” is not necessarily the same thing as hemp oil. While hemp does come from hemp, hemp is a particular compound from the hemp plant that serves as the active ingredient in hemp oil tinctures. So if you see someone advertising their product as the “best hemp oil,” they may not be selling actual hemp oil.
How Does Hemp Work?
There’s a lot of ongoing research in response to the question of how hemp works. What we do know is that as a cannabinoid, hemp interacts with your body’s endocannabinoid system. “Endocannabinoid” may not be a household word, but every mammal has an internal system that produces cannabinoids that interact with 2 kinds of receptors.
The endocannabinoid system is spread throughout your brain and body, but primarily throughout your central nervous system. The interaction between cannabinoids and receptors is what produces effects like the regulation of mood, pain, appetite, inflammation, and memory. Plant-based cannabinoids, found in cannabis plants, also interact with the receptors (whimsically named CB1 and CB2) in the endocannabinoid system, and each affects your body in different ways. hemp and its infamous cousin THC are the 2 most well-known cannabinoids.
But hemp is a special snowflake among cannabinoids. Rather than binding to one of the cannabinoid receptors in the way that other cannabinoids do, hemp doesn’t bind to either of them, but rather stimulates both kinds of receptors. This unique interaction creates systemic, whole-body benefits that include, but are by no means limited to:
- Immune support
- Pain regulation
- Anxiety regulation
- Inflammation suppression
- Neuroprotection
Can Hemp Make You High?
Hemp oil is a non-psychoactive component of the cannabis plant. So, no, it will not make you high.
There are at least 113 different cannabinoids that can be isolated from cannabis plants, each of which has its own effects. THC (or tetrahydrocannabinol) is the only cannabinoid responsible for the high that people get from marijuana.
In fact, not only will hemp not make you high, it has been proven to counteract the psychoactivity of THC. This property makes hemp highly useful as a medical treatment for a wide range of conditions.In terms of the hemp products you can buy, the amount of THC present varies from none at all in a pure hemp Isolate to a minimal amount (less than 0.3%) in a Full-Spectrum hemp product.
All this talk about THC lands us nicely in the whole “Full Spectrum vs. Pure Isolate” debate. Once you begin shopping for hemp products, you’ll notice a lot of jargon that gets thrown around without much explanation. Now that we’ve introduced THC into the conversation, we can talk about the difference between, and relative benefits of, Full Spectrum hemp and hemp Isolate (and the lesser-known contender: Broad Spectrum).
What Are the Types of Hemp?
Full Spectrum Hemp
As the name suggests, Full Spectrum hemp comes with a lot of other elements present in the plant. This includes terpenes (which give marijuana and hemp its distinctive smell) and cannabinoids like the lesser known CBG and CBN — and even small amounts of THC.
What you gain from Full Spectrum hemp is called the “entourage effect.” Studies have suggested that hemp is most effective when it’s combined with other cannabinoids. Each cannabinoid has its own properties and confers its own benefits. Working together, a synergy is created that boosts the healing properties of hemp. Full spectrum hemp does, however, bring with it the sticky issue of THC. The government regulates concentration levels of THC at 0.3 percent, an amount which results in minimal psychoactivity.
But THC metabolites are stored in the fat cells of your body, building up over time. If you ever need to take a drug test, this could create an issue for you.
Hemp Isolate
If you want to avoid THC altogether, hemp Isolate is the way to go. Hemp Isolate is just that — hemp that has been isolated and then refined to remove all other terpenes, cannabinoids, and plant material. This process eliminates the trace amounts of THC that would otherwise be present.
The result is a fine white powder containing only the pure hemp oil chemical compound. This isolate is then combined with carrier oils (like hemp seed oil or MCT oil) to create marketable products.
If you’re in the market for hemp isolate, it’s crucial to pay attention to the purity of the product. Many products made from hemp Isolate are labeled as being 99% pure. While those in the 99.9% range will have no identifiable amounts of THC, those in the 99.5% range may still have trace amounts that could show up in a lab test.
In your internet travels, you may also come across products called “terpsolates.” The manufacturers of these products infuse hemp Isolate with terpenes (but not cannabinoids like THC). These terpenes may enhance the effectiveness of hemp — or maybe they just make it smell good. This may be a good place to point out that not all hemp products are created equal. The industry is still largely unregulated, and the quality and quantity of hemp in a given product will vary wildly. Third-party testing definitely helps to monitor companies’ claims, but it’s still up to you as the consumer to do your homework on the best hemp oil products.
Hemp Oil vs. Hemp Seed Oil?
Another point worth clarifying is the difference between hemp seed oil (or hemp oil) and hemp oil. There’s confusion on this point for the very good reason that both hemp oil and hemp seed oil are extracted from the industrial hemp plant.But there’s a big difference between the two. Hemp seed oil has been pressed from hemp seed, and it’s great for a lot of things — it’s good for you, tastes great, and can be used in soap, paint — even as biodiesel fuel.
However, hemp seed oil does not contain any concentration of cannabinoids at all, including hemp. So by all means, stock up at your local natural food store. Just don’t expect to reap the benefits of a true hemp oil when you cook with hemp seed oil.
Is Hemp Legal?
And now, onto the thorny issue of legality. The simple answer to the question is yes — if it is extracted from hemp. The 2014 Farm Bill established guidelines for growing hemp in the U.S. legally. This so-called “industrial hemp” refers to both hemp and hemp products which come from cannabis plants with less than 0.3 percent THC and are grown by a state-licensed farmer.
Hemp derived from marijuana is a different story, and the law varies from state to state. But as long as you’re using hemp oil that contains less than 0.3 percent THC, you have nothing to be concerned about anywhere in the United States. On the other hand, if you want to take your hemp on a trip outside the country, definitely look into local laws to avoid getting into awkward situations while you’re away.
What Are the Benefits of Hemp Oil?
Hemp roared onto the health scene in 2009 when scientists in California began producing hemp-rich cannabis. Since then, hemp oil has created a whole new industry, and with it has come all the attendant media attention of a “wonder-drug.” So what does it do? And what research supports these claims?
The science behind hemp is in the relatively early stages. As a cannabinoid, we know that hemp interacts with receptors in your endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system is integrated throughout your body — and this widespread, whole-body interaction creates a broad range of effects. Hence, the long list of possible benefits. We may still be in the early stages of discovery, but there’s plenty of scientific studies and anecdotal evidence that hemp provides relief for an array of ailments. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of some potential benefits of hemp oil:
Hemp and Chronic Pain
It’s a truism to state that pain is an inevitable part of life. And it’s true that we all, from time to time, experience pain that is short-lived and treatable.
But those who deal with chronic pain know the debilitating, life-sucking reality of this condition. And traditional medications often come with long lists of side effects which can be as debilitating as the pain itself.
So when word started getting out that hemp has the potential to reduce pain without those side effects, it seemed too good to be true. In fact, numerous studies have looked at the relationship between hemp and pain, and the results are promising.
Researchers have looked at various kinds of pain — from joint pain to cancer pain. One finding is that hemp increases levels of glutamate and serotonin — both neurotransmitters that play a role in pain regulation. And hemp’s anti-inflammatory properties help by tackling the root cause of much chronic pain.
While hemp isn’t going to replace pharmaceutical pain relievers any time soon, initial studies have a lot of people excited about it. And there’s a ton of anecdotal evidence that hemp is providing relief for many people who suffer from many different sources of chronic pain.
Hemp Oil for Anxiety and Depression
Another field in which hemp is creating a buzz is in the area of mood disorders like anxiety and depression. Both conditions have been treated with a variety of medications, courtesy of Big Pharma, that have had varying levels of success. Again, the long list of side effects can be off-putting to someone who just wants to get through the day without the sweaty tension of anxiety or the gray haze of depression.
While researchers are calling for more robust studies on the role of hemp on mood disorders, there is promising research that points to hemp’s role as an anxiolytic — which means it has anti-anxiety effects. Another study showed hemp to have antidepressant effects comparable to those of the prescription antidepressant Imipramine.
We noted above that hemp increases levels of glutamate and serotonin — and it’s these same neurotransmitters that play a crucial role in mood regulation.
This doesn’t mean that you should flush your prescription anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medications down the toilet! These studies point to the need for more research to be done on hemp. But for those who have had limited success with prescribed medications, talking with your doctor about using hemp as an alternative is worth consideration.
Hemp and Insomnia
Sleep, the sweet elixir of the gods. So natural, but for many of us, so sadly elusive.
We exercise, we avoid things that we really, really want — like naps and caffeine. And still, the magic escapes us. But help is near. Hemp, with its calming, anti-anxiety effects, is helping many people get the sleep they need — without the groggy side effects of many sleeping pills.
The average person sleeps around 480 minutes each day, that is unless you are one of the 70 million Americans who suffer from one of several sleep disorders. With so many Americans suffering from sleep problems and low sleep quality, it’s not surprising that many sleepers are turning to the sedating effects of hemp to get a good night’s sleep. When suffering from insomnia, your first thought may be to purchase an over-the-counter supplement such as melatonin from your local pharmacy, but let us explain why hemp may be a better choice for your sleep aid needs.
Clinical trials have consistently reported the sedative effects of higher doses of hemp (160mg of hemp). While melatonin may be useful for sleep-wake cycle issues, such as you may encounter with jetlag, hemp oil will help you sleep better, longer, and improve your sleep quality.
Exciting research findings are showing that hemp can even help prevent the acting out of dreams during REM sleep that is common in Parkinson’s disease patients. While daytime sleepiness is listed as an adverse side effect of taking large doses of hemp, taking the supplement at night can promote restful sleep.
There are lots of things that can keep a person awake — from anxiety or depression to chronic pain. We’ve talked about the way hemp can help to alleviate all of these conditions, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that sleep might be a really sweet side effect of a calmer mind and a body that hurts less.
For those with chronic conditions that interrupt sleep, hemp has been shown to be effective at helping those with PTSD and REM behavior disorder. And while formal studies haven’t been completed on hemp and Restless Leg Syndrome yet, anecdotal evidence suggests that many people who use hemp oil have experienced a dramatic reduction in RLS symptoms.
Give hemp a try for your sleep concerns, because what do you have to lose? Not a few extra z’s, that’s for sure.
Hemp Oil and Seizures
In the United States, over 3 million people suffer from epilepsy — 470,000 of those people are children. Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain that causes seizures — of which there are over 30 different kinds, ranging from mild and infrequent to life-threatening.
Not surprisingly, people with epilepsy face significant challenges — from the cost of healthcare to work limitations and social isolation.
And treatment proves difficult for many people. In fact, over one-third of people with epilepsy live with uncontrollable seizures because there is no available treatment that works for them. So when hemp started gaining mainstream attention for stopping or greatly reducing seizures, people started to get very excited. And with good reason.
Evidence from laboratory studies, small clinical studies, and anecdotal reports over a number of years suggest that hemp helps control seizures. And in June of 2018, a major advance was made when the FDA approved a prescription cannabidiol medicine — Epidiolex — to treat rare and severe forms of epilepsy.
This means that people with these rare and devastating forms of epilepsy will have access to hemp that has been clinically tested and dosed.
Hemp and Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Benefits
In addition to all the benefits we’ve already discussed, hemp has been proven to have antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. This means that it helps repair the damage from oxidative stress, which is believed to be a primary cause of diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS — even heart disorders and some forms of cancer. This is a hugely beneficial effect of hemp.
Free radicals are the culprits when it comes to oxidative damage and inflammation. But hemp’s antioxidant properties can help to combat the negative effects of everyday exposure to elements that increase the production of free radicals.
These elements include pervasive, but hugely unsurprising, things like:
- Pollutants
- UV rays
- Pesticides
- Smoking
- Fried food
Obviously, you can’t avoid these things altogether (though Lord knows, some of us try). But hemp’s antioxidants strengthen the immune system and make it more able to withstand the aging and degenerative effects of free radicals.
How to Use Hemp Oil
Hemp’s numerous benefits have made it wildly popular for ailments as varied as mood disorders and epilepsy. A cannabinoid extracted from the hemp or marijuana plant, hemp has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-anxiety effects — among many other benefits. And it won’t get you high.
But the world of hemp oil can be a confusing place even if you have a pretty clear idea of what you want it to do for you. The goal, of course, is to get the right amount of hemp into your body in the most efficient way. But how do you know what the right amount is?
The somewhat frustrating answer is that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to that question. Factors like your specific product, your genetic makeup, and the condition you want to treat will all play a part in the dose you take.
To help get you started in finding your own perfect dose, here are some general principles to use as a guide:
Everyone is Different
It sounds like the title of a children’s book, but like so much else that you learned in kindergarten, it’s true. Everyone’s body is different — but everyone’s endocannabinoid system is really unique.
For reasons we don’t fully understand, receptors in the endocannabinoid system don’t respond predictably to cannabinoids from person to person. This lack of a predictable response makes standard dosing tricky.
Your age, weight, general health, and genetic makeup will all come into play as you look for your own “sweet spot” — the amount of hemp you need to get the results you want. You can expect to do a certain amount of experimentation before you find that optimal dose.
Get Informed
The first step to finding your correct hemp dosage is getting as much information as you can about the product you’re using. What is the concentration of hemp? Are there third-party lab tests that can confirm that?
The hemp industry is still mainly a grassroots therapeutic movement, and as such, largely unregulated. Concentration and purity levels can differ greatly depending on the manufacturing process.
The manufacturer will probably give you a recommended dosage, but bear in mind that this isn’t set in stone. What you need to find is your own minimum effective dose.
“Minimum effective dose” is a medical term which refers to the amount of a substance you need for the results you want, and above which, the substance doesn’t increase in effectiveness. Taking more hemp than you need can result in unwanted side effects, and it will certainly result in your spending more money than you need to.
Start Low, Go Slow
In the U.S., we live in a culture where more is often perceived as being better. And it’s easy, without even thinking about it, to apply that approach to hemp dosing.
But when it comes to hemp, more is not necessarily better. In fact, for many, less hemp is more effective.
One way to determine your optimal dosage is to start with a small amount of hemp for a couple weeks and then slowly increase your dosage, carefully taking note of symptoms, until you’re seeing the results you want.
There’s also been a lot of talk lately about “microdosing” hemp. This refers to an incremental process of finding your minimum effective dose. You can do this with any concentration of hemp oil, but lower concentrations will take longer.
In a 2017 article in Rolling Stone, Dr. Dustan Sulak outlines his protocol for microdosing. You can begin this process by asking yourself 3 questions:
- How easy is it to breathe?
- How comfortable and calm does your body feel?
- How easy is it for you to smile authentically, to feel content and grateful?
You then take your first drop of hemp oil, wait 45 minutes, then ask the questions again. If you feel no different and there’s no change in the way you answer those questions, you increase the dose by small increments until you do notice a difference.
You can continue this process over several days — and at some point, you’ll find that taking more doesn’t change your scores. That is your minimum effective dose.
Expectations
Hemp is often hailed as a Miraculous Cure for Everything, which it isn’t. It’s a substance with immense potential to heal and give relief — but it won’t necessarily be an immediate cure for your every ailment.
Before you begin taking hemp, you might want to spend some time thinking, as specifically as possible, about what you want it to do for you. Also consider what results you need to see to make the expenditure worthwhile.
Then take your time, and pay close attention to your body in order to give your experiment the best chance of success.
And if you’re taking any other medications, please do talk to your doctor before you begin to experiment with hemp. This will help you avoid any potential drug interactions or an unwanted decrease in the effectiveness of your other medications.
The Future of Hemp
Today, dozens of ongoing studies are looking into the still somewhat mysterious, but vastly promising field of hemp. With all of the conditions listed above — from chronic pain to mood disorders and epilepsy — there’s an abundance of anecdotal evidence and a growing amount of hard science that hemp can make a big difference.
As with any major change to your health routine, it’s important to talk to your doctor before taking hemp for any condition — especially if you’re already taking other medications. She can advise you on possible drug interactions and any reasons that hemp might not be a good choice for you personally.
