Key Takeaways

• Hemp seed oil is cannabinoid-free, while hemp extract does contain cannabinoids like CBD.
• Hemp seed oil gummies are mainly used for the fatty acid content, while CBD gummies provide benefits by interacting with your endocannabinoid system.
• Hemp-derived CBD gummies are federally legal.

Gummy wellness products are popular because they’re way more convenient to use. Some people don’t like swallowing softgels or tablets, and some people find that CBD oil is difficult for them to measure and use. 

Airi Macaluso, resident cannabis wellness expert at Veritas, says, “Let’s be honest. It’s just way more fun to use gummies. You might feel a little more motivated to use your CBD every day if it’s fun to eat and it tastes yummy!”

Gummies solve pretty much all of these issues — they’re portable, they’re pre-measured they taste good, and you don’t have to swallow them whole (unless you want to). 

If you’re looking to add CBD to your routine, choosing the right type of gummy is important. Hemp gummies and CBD gummies aren’t exactly the same thing — here’s how to spot the difference and what you should know about the health benefits of each.

What Is Hemp?

Hemp is Cannabis sativa that has been bred and cultivated to produce 0.3% THC or less by its dry weight. It isn’t a different type of plant from cannabis — instead, it’s the exact same plant, it has just been grown to meet the designation parameters decided by the 2018 Farm Bill, which made hemp production legal on a federal level.

To put it simply, hemp is a very important crop. It’s a highly sustainable natural alternative to many materials we use daily — hemp can be used to make paper, fabric, rope, biofuel, skincare products, cannabinoidwellness products, plant-based protein powder, cooking oil, and so much more. It’s extremely versatile, which makes it extremely useful!

Every single part of the plant serves a specific function. The seeds are completely different from the flowers (more on that later), and the stalks are completely different from the leaves. Each piece has unique uses and applications. Hemp is a wonder crop, and since the legalization of agricultural hemp, there has been a vast increase in commercially available hemp-derived products. 

What Is CBD?

Now, let’s get into some of the more nitty-gritty goodness. CBD is a cannabinoid derived from hemp that is used as a wellness-supporting product. It’s a very specific aspect of hemp with a unique set of potential benefits.

Where Does CBD Come From?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of over 100 cannabinoids that naturally occur within the hemp plant. The hemp plant produces cannabinoids as needed and expresses them in the trichomes of its flower. 

Okay, what the heck are trichomes? We’ll explain.

Trichomes are tiny white crystalline hairs that form on the leaves and flowers of a plant. 

Macaluso highlights raspberries as a good comparison: “Have you ever noticed that fresh raspberries are a little bit fuzzy? That fuzziness is the berry’s trichomes.” 

As the hemp plant grows, it produces more and more of these trichomes on its green bud flowers. This process flushes the flowers with cannabinoids, aromatic compounds called terpenes, and other naturally occurring compounds. 

What Are the Benefits of CBD?

CBD works to support your body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). You can think of the ECS as a giant network of receptors that exists throughout your entire body. Your endocannabinoid system supports many key processes in your body, including the processes that regulate your sleep-wake cycle, feelings of emotional or physical tension, digestive process, and immune health. 

The receptors throughout this system are designed to make and use cannabinoids. Your body supplies your endocannabinoid system with its own unique cannabinoids, but it can also accept stimulation from other cannabinoids. CBD broadly interacts with every type of receptor within the ECS, supporting the system and encouraging it to provide proper support to its intertwined systems. Think of it like your preschool teacher who taught you the importance of helping each other.

What Is a Hemp Gummy?

A hemp gummy is any gummy product made with hemp — it can be made from any part of the hemp plant. It can contain the protein of hemp seeds, the essential fatty acids of hemp seeds, or even just the aromatic terpenes that naturally occur within the hemp plant.

That said, the world of hemp gummies can get a bit confusing, so we’ll clarify.

Hemp seed oil gummies are gummies made with oil extracted from the seeds of the hemp plant. If your product’s label says “hemp seed oil,” this is what you’re dealing with — and it won’t have any CBD in it. It will, however, still provide you with some beneficial nutrients like fatty acids!

On the other hand, gummies made with hemp extract or hemp-derived CBD can also be referred to as “hemp gummies,” but this time you can use them to enjoy the big wide world of benefits that cannabinoids bring. 

What Is a CBD Gummy?

A CBD gummy is made with CBD as an active ingredient, and CBD gummies are sometimes referred to as CBD edibles. In most cases, the CBD comes from the hemp plant — but CBD can also be derived from cannabis plants when state laws allow.

So, what’s the catch? Cannabis-derived CBD products can only be sold at a legal dispensary. With this in mind, when you buy CBD gummies online or at a health food store, they’re almost always high-quality, hemp-derived CBD products. 

A CBD gummy can contain as little as 1 mg of CBD to 100 mg of CBD per serving. The bag will specify the total amount of CBD in the whole package, as well as the amount of CBD per single gummy. In most cases, one gummy is a serving. You aren’t meant to eat the entire bag in one sitting, no matter how tasty the gummies may be.

Gummies formulated to support a calm mood, like our Peaceful Mind gummies, often contain about 15 mg of CBD per serving. Our Peaceful Mind Gummies are extra strength for extra support when you need it most.

You’ll also see moderate amounts of CBD in nighttime gummies like our Sweet Dream Gummies, which also incorporate other soothing ingredients like melatonin.

What Is the Main Difference Between Hemp Gummies and CBD Gummies?

The biggest difference between hemp gummies and CBD gummies is (drum roll please): CBD. 

Hemp seed oil gummies don’t contain any CBD, while gummies made with hemp extract do. The easiest way to confirm which type of gummy you’re dealing with is to check the ingredients list — if they contain CBD, this will be indicated on the label.

Many companies wanted to cash in when the hemp wellness craze took the world by storm. They took advantage of the fact that the average consumer wouldn’t understand the difference between a hemp oil product and a CBD product. 

Hemp gummies popped up all over the place, promising large amounts of hemp measured in milligrams. They weren’t lying — the gummies really did contain a lot of hemp. 

The issue is that these companies were deliberately misleading people. And we think it goes without saying that this isn’t cool, but we’ll say it anyway.

People who were new to cannabinoidwellness weren’t going to understand that the hemp used to make the gummies came from the seed of the plant rather than the flower. Only the green parts contain cannabinoids. 

Hemp seed oil gummies don’t inherently offer a wide range of potential health benefits. The only thing they can provide to the body is small amounts of fatty acids, which most people obtain through their regular diet. The fatty acids in hemp aren’t much different from those found in avocado, salmon, or olive oil. 

If you see a hemp product at a price point that seems a little too good to be true and you don’t see CBD featured prominently on the label, the product probably doesn’t contain any of the real good stuff — CBD. 

Do CBD Gummies Contain Hemp?

CBD gummies can incorporate other parts of the hemp plant besides just CBD. Different types of CBD products will contain different cannabinoids and ingredients. Check a product’s label for specific information.

CBD Gummies and Hemp Seed Oil

Cannabinoids are fat soluble. This means they need to be digested with fat to work properly, and residual cannabinoids can be stored in your body fat. CBD will work better if you use it with a small amount of healthy fat, like a peanut butter sandwich. 

CBD oil products already come suspended in oil, AKA fat — they’re a comprehensive solution, which is why CBD oil users may not even know it’s best to ingest CBD with a little bit of healthy fat. The issue was pretty much solved before they even knew it existed. 

Hemp-infused CBD gummies may be easier for your body to use based on the same principle: a little bit of fatty acid helps get the job done.

CBD Gummies and Hemp Extracts

You might see CBD gummies listed as full spectrum hemp gummies or full spectrum CBD gummies. This means that the gummy is formulated with the whole extract of the hemp plant. 

Whole hemp extract is thought to produce the entourage effect, where every cannabinoid works hand in hand to provide holistic support to the endocannabinoid system. If CBD is the star of the show, other cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes are like the backup singers and dancers. Sure, CBD is still fantastic on its own, but those other vital components are what really complete the event.

CBD isolate gummies are CBD gummies made with only CBD. All other parts of the hemp extract, including the small amounts of naturally occurring tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), are discarded. There should be no trace amounts of THC in CBD isolate products. CBD isolate gummies technically don’t contain any hemp – just a single compound.

Broad spectrum CBD gummies contain most of the naturally occurring compounds of the hemp flower, but are THC-free. The THC is isolated and removed from the hemp extract before the extract is added to the gummies.

The Final Verdict

Hemp gummies aren’t a completely useful option for most people, and it’s generally better to eat foods containing healthy fats if you’re worried about your intake of healthy fats. It’s less expensive to enjoy the benefits of hemp by adding a drizzle of cold pressed hemp seed oil over your salad or into your morning smoothie. 

CBD gummies, however, do have plenty of potential wellness benefits. They can provide you with calm, soothing relief that hemp seed oil gummies simply can’t deliver. Always make sure the package lists the CBD content to ensure you’re buying the right kind of gummies, and look for the certificate of analysis (COA) for the batch. 

Ready to hop on the hemp gummies train? Our high-quality gummies can help you get started, with accessible COAs for each and every batch.

For a restful, renewing night of sleep, reach for our Sweet Dream gummies — aside from CBD, they also feature melatonin to help you drift asleep, stay asleep, and enjoy sweet dreams.

If you’re looking for a bit of help unwinding after a long day, our extra strength Peaceful Mind gummies are just the thing you need. With 15 mg of CBD per serving, these gummies can bring you all the chill vibes (and then some).

From tension to overwhelm to sleep, there’s a hemp gummy for everything.

Sources:

FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD) | Food and Drug Administration

Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity | Congressional Research Center

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cannabinoids | National Institutes of Health

‘Mechanisms of Action and Pharmacokinetics of Cannabis | The Permanente Journal