Full Spectrum Vs. Broad Spectrum CBD: What's the Difference?
Full spectrum and broad spectrum CBD start out as the same hemp extract. Full spectrum stops there, so it keeps a trace of THC along with the plant's other compounds. Broad spectrum goes through one more refining step that takes the THC out, usually to below what a lab can detect. CBD isolate is CBD on its own.
| Type | What it contains | THC | How it is made |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full spectrum | CBD plus the hemp plant's other cannabinoids, with terpenes and flavonoids where the process keeps them | A trace, measurable as a number on the certificate of analysis | Extraction and cleanup, with nothing done to remove THC |
| Broad spectrum | CBD plus other cannabinoids, with THC taken out. Terpenes are often lost in refining and sometimes added back | Usually not detected by the lab's test. A trace below the test's limit can remain | The same extraction and cleanup, plus one more refining step that removes THC |
| CBD isolate | CBD alone, 95 percent or more by weight | Usually reported as not detected, since nearly everything but CBD is removed | Refined until only CBD remains, usually as a white crystal powder |
Why does THC matter when you choose CBD?
For many people, THC is the deciding question when they choose CBD. Some want CBD and would rather leave THC out entirely, by personal preference or because of the laws where they live. Others are comfortable with a trace.
The two types line up with those two choices, so knowing which one is in the bottle tells you whether THC was taken out. 55plus has always sourced for no detectable THC, to serve customers who want CBD while avoiding THC.
“I think people sometimes see ‘full spectrum’ on a label and assume it means more complete or better, without realizing it also means the product contains THC. I learned that distinction through my own experience. Even small amounts of THC made me feel ‘off,’ and that wasn’t what I wanted from a wellness product. Discovering broad spectrum changed how I felt about CBD. I could finally appreciate it without that unwanted feeling. That experience is why we chose broad spectrum for 55plus CBD.”
Debra Dullaghan, Founder of 55plus CBD
What changes for THC in December 2026?
A federal law that takes effect December 11, 2026 changes how THC is counted in hemp products.1,2 It counts total THC, which includes THCA as well as delta-9 THC, and caps finished hemp products that contain CBD or other cannabinoids at 0.4 mg of total THC per container.1 That date is current as of October 2026.
The cap applies to the whole container, not each serving. Picture a jar of 30 gummies with 0.02 mg of THC in each one. One gummy holds very little, and the jar holds 0.6 mg, which is over the cap.
Whichever type of CBD you choose, the total THC result on the batch certificate of analysis is the number to read.
Our guide to CBD law for seniors covers federal law, state law and travel.
Does full spectrum CBD mean more CBD?
Full spectrum CBD does not mean more CBD. The word full describes how many of the hemp plant's compounds stay in the extract, not how much CBD is in it.
The amount of CBD in a serving depends on the product and is printed in milligrams on the label. A broad spectrum product can hold as much CBD as a full spectrum one, or more.
How does one batch of hemp become two different bottles?
Picture one batch of hemp extract, taken from the plant and cleaned up, then split into two jars. The first jar is finished as it is. That jar is full spectrum, with the plant's range of compounds and a trace of THC.
The second jar goes through one more refining step that takes the THC out while CBD and the other cannabinoids stay. That jar is broad spectrum. The extra step is the whole difference between the two bottles.
What is full spectrum CBD?
Full spectrum CBD is hemp extract that keeps the range of compounds the plant made, THC included. The THC is a small amount, and it shows up as a number on the certificate of analysis, the lab report that goes with each batch. Think of it as regular coffee, with nothing taken out on purpose.
What is broad spectrum CBD?
Broad spectrum CBD is hemp extract that goes through an extra step to take THC out while keeping CBD and other cannabinoids. Decaf coffee is the closest everyday comparison.
Decaf starts as the same beans as regular coffee, goes through one extra process to take the caffeine out, and still is not truly zero. Broad spectrum works the same way with THC, which is why the accurate phrase is no detectable THC rather than no THC.
What is CBD isolate?
CBD isolate is CBD refined on its own, to 95 percent CBD or more, with the other cannabinoids, terpenes and plant compounds removed.3 It usually starts as a white crystal powder. Of the three types, isolate is the narrowest, and it is the one to look for if you want CBD and nothing else from the plant.
Does broad spectrum CBD have any THC at all?
Broad spectrum CBD has no THC that the lab's test can detect, which is not quite the same as zero. Every test has a limit of detection, the smallest amount it can reliably see.4
A result of ND, for not detected, means any THC present is below that limit. A bathroom scale reads zero with a feather on it, and the feather still weighs something. Limits differ from lab to lab, and a thorough certificate prints the limit next to the result.
No federal law defines broad spectrum, and the states that do draw the line in different places. New York requires delta-9 THC to be non-detectable.3 Colorado allows a small measured amount, up to 0.05 mg of total THC per gram.5 The certificate of analysis shows which side of the line a batch falls on.
What does the word on a CBD label tell you?
The word on a CBD label tells you which path the extract took.
Full spectrum means nothing was done to remove THC, so a trace remains. Broad spectrum means THC was taken out, usually to below what a lab can detect. Isolate means CBD alone. The label makes that promise, and the certificate of analysis is where you check it.
The 55plus CBD glossary explains other common terms you may see on a CBD label.
How do you read the THC line on a certificate of analysis?
A certificate of analysis, or COA, is a lab report for one batch, written by an outside lab. It works like a nutrition label for that batch.
Check that the batch number matches your bottle and that the lab is named. Then read the THC rows, usually delta-9 THC and THCA, each reported as a number or ND.
Watch the units too, since milligrams per gram and milligrams per serving read very differently. Under the December law, total THC for the whole container is the number that counts.
How do you choose between full spectrum and broad spectrum CBD?
Choosing between full spectrum and broad spectrum CBD comes down to THC. Full spectrum keeps a trace of THC with the rest of the plant's compounds. Broad spectrum keeps CBD and other cannabinoids with THC taken out, usually to non-detectable levels. Isolate keeps CBD alone.
Whichever you pick, read the batch certificate before you buy. You can browse all 55plus products. The rest of this guide follows one batch from plant to bottle, for readers who want every step.
How is CBD extracted from hemp?
CBD is extracted from dried hemp with a solvent that dissolves the oils out of the plant, much as hot water pulls coffee out of the grounds. The three common solvents are carbon dioxide, ethanol and hydrocarbons such as butane. Full spectrum and broad spectrum extract can start from any of them.
CO₂ extraction
CO₂ extraction puts carbon dioxide under high pressure until it acts like a liquid solvent and dissolves cannabinoids and terpenes. When the pressure is released, the carbon dioxide turns back into a gas and leaves no residue of its own.6
Many processors still add a little ethanol during or after extraction, so the certificate of analysis checks for residual solvents either way.6 Pressurized carbon dioxide is also one of the ways coffee beans are decaffeinated.
Ethanol extraction
Ethanol extraction soaks hemp in food-grade alcohol, the same way vanilla beans are soaked in alcohol to make vanilla extract. It is one of the most common methods for hemp at large scale.
Ethanol also dissolves chlorophyll, the green pigment, so many processors run it very cold to pull less of it.7
Hydrocarbon extraction
Hydrocarbon extraction uses butane or propane in a sealed system, then boils the solvent off. The certificate of analysis can show whether any residual solvent remains.
The method is more common for cannabis concentrates than for large-scale hemp CBD, because the solvents are flammable, need a dedicated safety-rated facility and are harder to run at large volume.6,8 Carbon dioxide and ethanol handle most hemp CBD.
How is crude hemp extract cleaned up?
Crude hemp extract is a dark, thick oil that still carries plant waxes, fats and pigment. Cleanup takes those out and readies the oil for everything that follows.
Winterization and filtration
Winterization mixes crude hemp oil with ethanol and chills it well below freezing, so waxes and fats turn solid and can be filtered out.6 It works for the same reason a pot of soup is easy to skim after a night in the fridge.
Winterization does not take out the green chlorophyll. Cold extraction keeps most of it out in the first place, and filters such as activated carbon catch much of the rest.7,9
Decarboxylation
Decarboxylation uses heat to change cannabinoids from their raw acid forms into the forms on most labels. Hemp makes most of its CBD as CBDA, and heat turns CBDA into CBD by releasing a small piece of the molecule as carbon dioxide.10
The same heat turns THCA into THC, which is why the new federal law counts THCA toward total THC.1,10
Where does full spectrum CBD stop?
Full spectrum CBD is finished once the crude hemp oil is cleaned up. Some makers also distill it to concentrate the cannabinoids, but nothing is done to take THC out, so the trace stays in.
How is THC removed from broad spectrum CBD?
THC is removed from broad spectrum CBD in two stages. Distillation concentrates the cannabinoids first, and chromatography then separates THC from CBD so the THC can be set aside.11 Every step before these two is the same for full spectrum and broad spectrum.
Distillation
Distillation heats hemp extract under a vacuum so compounds turn to vapor at different temperatures and can be collected separately, the same principle behind distilling spirits. It turns the cleaned-up oil into a clear golden oil called distillate.
Distillation concentrates the cannabinoids together but does not separate THC from CBD, so distillate still carries THC alongside the CBD. Many terpenes boil off at this stage, and some broad spectrum products add terpenes back later.11
Chromatography
Chromatography is the step that takes THC out of broad spectrum CBD. If you have ever drawn a marker dot on a coffee filter and dipped the edge in water, you have seen it work. The water carries the ink up the paper, and each color travels a different distance.
In a hemp lab, dissolved distillate runs through a packed column instead of paper. CBD and THC travel through it at different speeds and come out at different times, so the THC portion is collected and set aside.11,12 The solvent is then evaporated off, leaving broad spectrum oil with no detectable THC.
High-performance liquid chromatography, or HPLC, is the lab-bench version of the same idea, and it is how most labs measure THC on a certificate of analysis.13 It runs without heat, so it can count THCA and THC separately.13
Common questions
Does broad spectrum CBD have THC?
Broad spectrum CBD is processed to remove THC, usually to below detectable levels. A trace below a lab's limit of detection can remain, so the accurate phrase is no detectable THC. The certificate of analysis for each batch shows the THC result.
What is the difference between full spectrum and broad spectrum CBD?
Full spectrum CBD keeps a trace of THC along with the hemp plant's other compounds. Broad spectrum CBD goes through one more refining step to remove THC to below detectable levels while keeping CBD and other cannabinoids.
Is broad spectrum CBD the same as CBD isolate?
No. Broad spectrum CBD keeps CBD plus other cannabinoids, with no detectable THC. CBD isolate is CBD refined on its own, to 95 percent CBD or more, with nearly every other compound removed.
Does 55plus sell full spectrum CBD?
No. 55plus does not sell full spectrum CBD. We have always sourced for no detectable THC, to serve customers who want CBD while avoiding THC. Each batch's certificate of analysis shows the THC result.
What is a certificate of analysis?
A certificate of analysis, or COA, is a lab report for a specific batch of CBD. It lists the cannabinoids measured, including THC, and is how a label's claims can be checked against a number.
Written by Debra Dullaghan, founder of 55plus. Published May 29, 2024. Updated October 14, 2026.
Sources Cited
- U.S. Congress. Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026, Pub. L. 119-37, div. B, § 781, 139 Stat. 495 (Nov. 12, 2025). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-119publ37/html/PLAW-119publ37.htm
- U.S. Congress. Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, Pub. L. 119-103, § 2019, 140 Stat. 987 (Sept. 2, 2026). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-119publ103/html/PLAW-119publ103.htm
- New York State Cannabis Control Board. 9 NYCRR Part 114, Cannabinoid Hemp (adopted Dec. 2023). https://cannabis.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/01/part-114-exprs-trms-adopted-12-2023.pdf
- Armbruster, David A, and Terry Pry. “Limit of blank, limit of detection and limit of quantitation.” The Clinical biochemist. Reviews vol. 29 Suppl 1 (2008): S49-52. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2556583/
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Colorado Hemp Product and Safe Harbor Hemp Product Regulations, 6 CCR 1010-24 (adopted Nov. 15, 2023). https://www.sos.state.co.us/CCR/GenerateRulePdf.do?fileName=6+CCR+1010-24&ruleVersionId=11299
- López-Olmos C, García-Valverde MT, Hidalgo J, Ferrerio-Vera C and Sánchez de Medina V (2022) Comprehensive comparison of industrial cannabinoid extraction techniques: Evaluation of the most relevant patents and studies at pilot scale. Front. Nat. Prod. 1:1043147. doi: 10.3389/fntpr.2022.1043147
- Addo, Peter W. et al. “Cold Ethanol Extraction of Cannabinoids and Terpenes from Cannabis Using Response Surface Methodology: Optimization and Comparative Study.” Molecules vol. 27,24 8780. 11 Dec. 2022, doi:10.3390/molecules27248780
- Oregon Occupational Safety and Health. “Information for cannabis processors.” State of Oregon. https://osha.oregon.gov/essentials/cannabis/processors
- Lazarjani, Masoumeh Pourseyed et al. “Processing and extraction methods of medicinal cannabis: a narrative review.” Journal of cannabis research vol. 3,1 32. 19 Jul. 2021, doi:10.1186/s42238-021-00087-9
- Wang, Mei et al. “Decarboxylation Study of Acidic Cannabinoids: A Novel Approach Using Ultra-High-Performance Supercritical Fluid Chromatography/Photodiode Array-Mass Spectrometry.” Cannabis and cannabinoid research vol. 1,1 (2016): 262-271. doi:10.1089/can.2016.0020
- Biotage. “A Guide to Flash Chromatography Methods for Isolating Cannabinoids” (2020). https://www.biotage.com/hubfs/ScaleUp/Cannabinoids-Cannabis/UI450%20-%20A%20guide%20to%20flash%20for%20cannabis%20applications.pdf
- Ask A Scientist Staff. “What is Chromatography and How Does It Work?” Thermo Fisher Scientific (Oct. 17, 2019, updated June 26, 2025). https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/ask-a-scientist/what-is-chromatography/
- Shimadzu (United Kingdom). “Potency Testing.” https://www.shimadzu.co.uk/industries/cannabis/potency-testing/index.html
