CBD: What is it and where does it come from?

CBD from plant to product

CBD is one of the most well-known cannabinoids from the cannabis plant and is now included in everything from oils and drops to flower and other cannabis products. The abbreviation stands for cannabidiol, which is a naturally occurring substance in cannabis and hemp.

But what exactly is CBD, where does it come from, and why is the term found on so many different products? Here we take a closer look at the cannabinoid and its place in modern cannabis terminology.

What is CBD?

CBD stands for cannabidiol and is a cannabinoid – that is, one of the naturally occurring chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant.

Cannabis contains a wide range of cannabinoids. Among the most well-known are CBD and THCA, but there are also lesser-known compounds such as CBG and CBN. The composition and amount of the individual cannabinoids vary depending on the plant's genetics and cultivation, among other factors.

CBD is therefore not a specific cannabis plant or a specific product. It is the name of one of the compounds that the plant can contain.

Where does CBD come from?

CBD is naturally formed in the cannabis plant and is especially found in the resin-rich trichomes, which are located on the flowers and other parts of the plant. Trichomes are the small crystal-like structures that can give cannabis flowers their frosty surface. Here, the plant produces both cannabinoids and terpenes, which together help to create the plant's chemical profile.

The amount of CBD varies from strain to strain. Some cannabis plants are genetically developed to have a CBD-dominant cannabinoid profile, while others, for example, have higher concentrations of THCA.

It is therefore the plant's genetics and cannabinoid profile, not just the designation cannabis or hemp, that tells more about which cannabinoids it contains.

What is the difference between CBD and THC?

CBD and THC both come from the cannabis plant, but are two different cannabinoids with different chemical structures and different properties.

A significant difference is that CBD does not have the same psychoactive properties as THC. However, this does not mean that all CBD products automatically have the same composition. A product can contain several different cannabinoids, and therefore the specific cannabinoid profile is important.

The THC content also plays a central role in the legislation surrounding cannabis products. Therefore, laboratory tests and third-party analyses are used to document the content of, among other things, CBD, THC and other cannabinoids.

CBD and THC should therefore be regarded as two different compounds from the same plant, rather than as two different types of cannabis.

What is CBD oil?

CBD oil is a product form where CBD is included in an oil. The cannabinoid is typically combined with a carrier oil so that the finished product has a liquid and uniform consistency. However, the term itself does not precisely describe how the product is composed. CBD oils can vary in concentration, extraction method, and cannabinoid profile.

Therefore, CBD products will typically be labeled with a percentage or other information about the content. Laboratory data can also be used to document the specific composition.

CBD oil should not be confused with cannabis oil as a general term. Cannabis oil can cover various oil products and cannabinoid profiles, while CBD oil specifically refers to products where CBD is a central part of the content.

CBD oil from Weedshop

What are CBD drops?

CBD drops is a term often used for liquid CBD products that come in a bottle with a pipette or other drop dispenser.

Therefore, the terms CBD oil and CBD drops are often used for overlapping product forms. While CBD oil describes the oil product itself, CBD drops refer more to the product's format and method of dispensing the liquid.

One cannot necessarily determine the product's specific content from the word "drops." Here, information about CBD concentration, other cannabinoids, ingredients, and laboratory analysis are more precise.

CBD is found in several different product forms

Although CBD is often associated with oil and drops, the cannabinoid is not tied to one specific product category. CBD can, among other things, be found in:

cannabis flowers and buds
CBD oil and drops
hash and resin-based products
extracts and concentrates
capsules and other specialized products

Common to the products is the cannabinoid CBD, while both structure, manufacturing, and overall composition can vary greatly.

A CBD bud, for example, retains the cannabis flower's natural Nug structure and trichomes, while CBD oil is a processed, liquid product. CBD therefore primarily describes the content – not the product's physical form.

How is the content of a CBD product assessed?

When looking at a CBD product, the percentage is only one part of the description. The overall cannabinoid profile can provide a more detailed picture of what the product contains. Here, laboratory tests and third-party analysis play an important role. An analysis can, among other things, show the concentration of CBD and other cannabinoids, as well as document the product's THC content.

This is particularly relevant because two products, both marketed as CBD, do not necessarily have the same composition. Genetics, raw material, extraction, and manufacturing method can all affect the final product.

The term CBD should therefore be seen in conjunction with the specific information about the product's content, rather than as a complete description in itself.

CBD as part of cannabis terminology

CBD has gone from primarily being a chemical name to also serving as a broad category in cannabis language. One therefore encounters the term in words like CBD oil, CBD drops, CBD hash, and CBD flower.

This can cause some confusion, because CBD in itself does not describe a specific format. A CBD flower and a CBD oil can, for example, be very different products, even though both are associated with the same cannabinoid.

Similarly, terms like THC and THCA are used to describe specific cannabinoids, while words like hash, flower and oil say more about the product form itself.

Knowing the difference between cannabinoid and product category therefore makes it easier to understand the many terms used in modern cannabis language.