Differentiating Full-Spectrum Hemp Extracts from CBD Isolates: Implications for Policy, Safety and Science

The passage of the 2018 United States Agriculture Improvement Act removed industrial hemp, defined as Cannabis sativa L. containing less than 0.3% THC content by dry weight, from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and made it an agricultural commodity. Following these changes, the popularity of hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) dietary supplements by consumers has greatly exceeded the scientific understanding of purported benefits, safety and composition of these botanical extracts. Further complicating CBD hemp supplement regulation, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers CBD to be an approved drug (Epidiolex) in the treatment of severe epilepsy disorders, Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes. At the same time, hemp-derived CBD supplements can contain a complex phytochemical matrix from the hemp plant, distinguishing the composition of these products from isolated CBD preparations. This work aims to provide clarity on differentiating botanical full-spectrum hemp extracts containing CBD from isolates, from a phytochemical, toxicological and regulatory perspective.