What is CBD? Origin, THC difference, and how to choose
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a molecule that occurs naturally in hemp. It is one of roughly a hundred cannabinoids identified in the plant. Its defining feature — and the reason it is legal where cannabis is not: it does not get you high.
The World Health Organization’s expert committee established this in 2018, when it recommended that pure CBD not be placed under international control.
CBD and THC: the difference that matters
Both molecules come from the same plant and have — surprisingly — exactly the same chemical formula: C₂₁H₃₀O₂. The only thing separating them is how their atoms are arranged in space.
That difference changes everything, because it determines how each molecule binds to receptors in the nervous system.
| CBD | THC | |
|---|---|---|
| Psychoactive effect | No | Yes |
| Dependence potential | Not established (WHO, 2018) | Established |
| Detected in roadside tests | No | Yes |
That last row causes the most trouble: a compliant CBD product lawfully contains trace THC, and roadside tests look for THC, not CBD. The legality of your purchase is not a defence under traffic law.
Where the CBD you buy comes from
Commercial CBD is extracted from industrial hemp varieties: cultivars selected for naturally low THC and listed on an official register. They are not the same plants grown for recreational use.
The most common process is supercritical CO₂ extraction, which recovers the compounds without leaving solvent residue. Others exist — ethanol, for instance — and are not worse, provided the certificate of analysis confirms no residual solvents in the finished product.
That is, in fact, the only angle from which extraction method should interest you as a buyer: not as a marketing claim, but as something the lab report has to confirm.
Full spectrum, broad spectrum, isolate
The concept that confuses newcomers most, and the one that decides most in practice.
Full spectrum. Contains all the plant’s compounds: cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids — and therefore trace THC, below the legal limit.
Broad spectrum. The same compounds, with the THC removed during processing.
Isolate. Purified CBD, separated from everything else. No other cannabinoids, no terpenes, no THC.
This is not a quality question — all three profiles can be excellent or mediocre. It is a constraint question:
- You drive regularly, or you get tested → isolate is the only profile that excludes THC by construction. Broad spectrum works if the batch certificate confirms it.
- You want the plant’s complete profile → full spectrum.
Reading a label without being misled
Three numbers appear on these products, and they do not say the same thing.
The percentage (10%, 20%) gives concentration, not quantity.
Total milligrams tells you how much CBD is in the container. That is the useful number: 10 ml at 10% = 1,000 mg.
Price per milligram is the only honest way to compare. A 10 ml bottle at 5% (500 mg) for €30 works out at €0.060/mg. A 30 ml bottle at 10% (3,000 mg) for €90 works out at €0.030/mg: half the price, while looking three times more expensive on the shelf.
That is why we show price per milligram on every product we list. It is not a claim, it is arithmetic — and it is the number most shops do not show.
The certificate of analysis
A serious product comes with a certificate of analysis matching its batch. Issued by an independent laboratory, it states actual CBD content, THC content, and the absence of contaminants: heavy metals, pesticides, residual solvents.
Two checks are worth making: the batch number on the certificate must match the label, and the date must correspond to that production run. A generic brand analysis tells you nothing about the bottle in your hand.
Without a batch certificate, no figure on the packaging can be verified.
What is known about safety, and what is not
Two things are true at once, and most pages report only one of them.
The WHO concluded in 2018 that pure CBD is not psychoactive and does not produce dependence.
The EFSA, by contrast, has not been able to establish the safety of regular oral consumption. It identified data gaps in 2022 and confirmed that position in 2025: a provisional reference point in the order of 2 mg per day, and the finding that safety cannot be established for people under 25, for pregnant or breastfeeding women, or for anyone on medication.
That last point is the most concrete. CBD is metabolised by liver enzymes that also process a great many medicines, which can change how much of a drug ends up in your bloodstream — in either direction. If you take medication, that question belongs with your doctor or pharmacist, not with a website, including this one.
Frequently asked questions
Does CBD get you high? No. The WHO concluded in 2018 that pure CBD is not psychoactive in the sense of controlled substances.
What is the difference between CBD and THC? They share the same chemical formula but differ in the spatial arrangement of their atoms, which changes how they bind to receptors in the nervous system. THC is psychoactive and controlled; CBD is not.
What does full spectrum mean? That the product contains all the plant’s compounds, including trace THC below the legal limit. Broad spectrum removes the THC; isolate contains CBD only.
Which profile should I choose if I drive? Isolate, which excludes THC by construction. Broad spectrum works if the batch certificate confirms the absence of THC.
How do I compare two CBD products? By price per milligram: divide the price by the total CBD content in milligrams. Percentage alone allows no comparison at all.
Is CBD safe? The WHO found no dependence potential. The EFSA could not establish the safety of regular oral consumption, particularly for people under 25, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and anyone taking medication.