If you’ve had success adding CBD to your daily health and wellness regimen, you may be interested in the CBD strains that make it possible for you to get quality, legal CBD oil. There are plenty of CBD-rich strains, but not all are right for hemp CBD products. In order to be classified as industrial hemp rather than marijuana, certain criteria have to be met. That’s why we work so closely with our American growers to make sure your products are ultra-pure so that you can be confident you’re getting a product you can trust.
Why Certain CBD Strains Are Better Than Others
While some refer to these as CBD-only strains, that is a bit of a misnomer. There is no such thing as a CBD-only strain, nor would you want one. Part of what makes CBD so effective is the entourage effect. While the CBD may be offering the most benefit, cannabis plants, including industrial hemp, have over 100 active compounds that go to work on your body’s endocannabinoid system to provide the health and wellness benefits you love.
What people usually mean by “CBD-only” is that they want a strain that is ultra-low in THC, the major psychoactive component in marijuana that gets users high. While these strains usually have some THC, in industrial hemp, the THC concentration is federally mandated to be below 0.3% by weight. In contrast, marijuana strains can have THC levels higher than 30% by weight, or over 100-times more. With some strains, this puts the final concentration of THC at much lower trace levels, and may even fall within the margin of error for analysis, effectively creating a 0% THC concentration. While this may render a certificate of analysis with a 0% THC content, these “CBD strains” will still have not just CBD but other cannabinoids, such as limonene.
Why Ultra-Low THC Levels Are Important
For decades, there was no federal distinction made between marijuana and hemp, despite an already long and detailed history of hemp’s use by humanity for wellness benefits, clothing production, and paper-making. Because these were considered to be the same plant, hemp was treated as a scheduled substance the same as marijuana.
As popular support for medical marijuana grew, so did support for the legalization of industrial hemp as a natural resource in the United States. With the Farm Bill of 2018, industrial hemp became recognized as a separate plant with the THC content being the differentiator between it and its psychoactive sister plant. This opened the door for CBD-rich strains to make a return to the health and wellness industry.
How Are Strains Created?
CBD strains are created much the same way that marijuana strains are. Growers—or researchers and geneticists working for them—work to breed plants with desirable traits in order to form a more desirable combination. For industrial hemp meant for CBD processing, these plants are also feminized once a strain is developed to ensure that all the plants are female. Female plants have a higher concentration of CBD as long as they are not fertilized by a male plant. Once fertilized, their CBD levels drop drastically.
What Are Some High CBD, Low THC Strains
Several CBD strains have proven extremely popular, both among those who use CBD and those medical marijuana users who like the benefits of CBD and other terpenes but don’t like the high feeling they get from THC.
- Charlotte’s Web—In many ways, Charlotte’s Web was a vital part of industrial hemp’s return to legality and played a major role in the acceptance of the potential CBD offered for children with certain conditions. Developed specifically to be a CBD-rich strain with almost no THC, it takes its name from a young girl named Charlotte Figi who suffered from epilepsy but had found relief from seizures through the use of medical marijuana. The Stanley family worked to breed a strain that offered her the full benefits of CBD without forcing her parents to expose her to higher THC levels.
- Cherry WIne Hemp—One of the more pleasant raw CBD strains, it has a strong cherry aroma and flavor and comes in easily under the threshold for industrial hemp. This strain is noted as much for its high terpene content as for its CBD levels, making it perfect for those who want to put the entourage effect to full use.
- Industrial Hemp—OK. This isn’t a strain, it’s a broad category, but an important one. In many instances, a processor or distributor—sometimes even a grower—may not know what strain their hemp is or may not know consistently what CBD strains they’re using. This may not be ideal, but the truth about strains—even in the more matured legal marijuana industry—is that they are largely used for marketing rather than scientific purposes. While a grower or producer can say that they used a specific CBD-rich strain, if the certificate of analysis doesn’t match up, it still can’t be used for your legal CBD products.
So, How Many Are There?
The truth is, there’s no way to know. New strains are being invented every day, then they’re given fancy names to help market them. These often proprietary trademarks may help sales, but they muddy the water for patients who may forgo some great CBD products looking for a “name brand” that may not offer the potency or quality they need.
So How Do I Know What I Should Look For?
Start by looking for a reputable supplier who offers certificates of analysis for their products. This helps you not only verify it has an appropriate CBD level, but a legal THC level. Ideally, it will also give you a breakdown of the terpenes, so if you’re looking for a specific composition you can find it. You’ll also want to make sure they are processing your product in a medical-grade facility to avoid contamination.
We’re proud to bring you the top CBD products, manufactured to the highest quality standards. If you have any questions about our products or processes, call our customer service team at (888) 506-1501. Order your CBD oil from ultra-pure CBD strains from CoreCBD today.
