Hemp vs CBD: Oil or Gummies?

A short, personal history with hemp

Let us start by aging ourselves and telling you a little story about our short, 90s history with hemp, which actually lead to this little CBD business we love so much.

This may be specific and completely unrelatable, but bear with us: in the era of popular mall shops like Afterthoughts (now The Icing) and Claire's, where middle school girls roamed freely trying on accessories to make them look more like Mary Kate and Ashley, there existed hemp necklaces.

Sometimes, these necklaces were threaded with pooka shells. Sometimes, the hemp was dyed various shades of the rainbow, very likely not using natural dyes like beet juice. Often, there were BOGO deals if you got multiples. Of course, those middle school girls wanted multiples. There were at least five outfits in a school week and school dances on the weekends where no one (no one!) could see them wearing the same thing twice.

And when those girls presented their hemp necklaces to their parents, the parents inevitably said, "No way."

Their reason? "Hemp is marijuana and marijuana supports the drug lords." The pooka shells didn't matter. The colors were irrelevant. This was the D.A.R.E. era, so unless your best friend had an older brother interested in extra cash flow, no hemp necklaces made it into your jewelry box.

Some background on the hemp plant

If you were a 90s kid, you may have had a similar understanding of hemp, regardless of whether rumors abounded in your family about the marijuana plant that grew wildly in one of your grandma's flower pots while your mom and three uncles were in high school.

Hemp was bad and that was that. But, as you grew and started asking questions, you probably realized there is much more to hemp than those tense Afterthoughts checkout line encounters led you to believe.

According to our favorite Dr. Google site where we search our symptoms when we're sure we have some new kind of cancer or auto-immune disease but don't want to feel totally crazy, WebMD, hemp is the same species of plant as cannabis. Unlike cannabis, though, hemp contains very little tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—less than 0.3%.

Hemp is very much legal and sold in various forms: the aforementioned necklaces, flowers, leaves, seed, seed oil, and hemp protein are used as food and/or medicine. It's also used to make household products like cloth, rope, printer ink, and more. It's been around and used since Jesus walked! Seriously.

Many people use various forms of hemp to treat things like constipation, high cholesterol, eczema (atopic dermatitis), arthritis, and other conditions. There is no good scientific evidence to support these uses, but as we know, science can be pretty slow to study these things.

Are hemp oil and CBD oil the same thing?

The short answer: pretty much. "Hemp oil" is another way people refer to CBD oil, and for many, it's a much more comfortable reference point, especially given the Jesus aspect we mentioned in the last section.

While most people may not totally get hemp, they're more comfortable with the term because they've heard it more. But, it's about to get a little complicated: hemp seed oil and CBD oil are very much not the same (this shit's complicated for us, too, people!).

CBD oil

CBD oil uses the stalks, leaves, and flowers of the hemp plant in its production (and it's what we use to make Bizzy topical compounds). These parts of the hemp plant contain a higher concentration of CBD, which has a lot of potential health benefits.

Conversely, hemp seed oil comes from the seeds of the cannabis sativa plant. The seeds do not contain CBD, but they still have a rich profile of nutrients, fatty acids, and useful bioactive compounds that also have health benefits.

Hemp seed oil + uses

Hemp seed oil contains omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, gamma-linolenic acid, and other nutritional antioxidants. It is also high in B vitamins and vitamin D. You will not get high when using hemp seed oil—it contains no tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and little to no CBD.

It's not a chill or good-time drug at all. Most people use it as a more natural support for things like high cholesterol. Because it is rich in fatty acids, hemp seed oil can help with constipation, improving skin conditions, cardiovascular health, and various gastrointestinal conditions. Kinda makes us think of something our anti-hemp-necklace parents are now buying for each other at the health food store. Full circle moment!

A deeper dive into CBD oil

Currently, there are three different types of CBD oil on the market:

1. Full-spectrum CBD oil, which contains all compounds of the cannabis plant, including THC (but at a very low level)
2. Broad-spectrum CBD oil, which contains several compounds but not THC
3. CBD oil made using CBD isolate, which contains only CBD

Bizzy topicals are made from hemp-derived CBD oil. Typically, CBD oil is made by extracting CBD from the cannabis plant and then diluting it with a carrier oil like coconut oil or hemp seed oil (we use coconut oil in our topicals). CBD oil can be found in all kinds of products, including dietary supplements, bath soaks, drinks, and food.

Is CBD legal?

Hemp-derived CBD products (with less than 0.3% THC) are legal on the federal level but are still illegal under some state laws.

Cannabis-derived CBD products are illegal on the federal level but are legal under some state laws.

Check your state’s laws and those of anywhere you travel. And keep in mind that nonprescription CBD products are not FDA-approved. Our CBD, though, because it is hemp-derived, is legal. We just can't run ads about it on Facebook. We know. It's confusing.

CBD gummies

Our gummies are made from distillate (full-spectrum) and an isolate (broad-spectrum), not oil, but that point is somewhat moot. What we're saying is that the extraction method for oil vs. gummies is slightly different.

We're all for CBD tinctures (oils you hold under your tongue)—we just don't make them since, as we said, it's a completely different extraction process vs CBD gummies. Put simply: our gummies are hemp-derived CBD products.

Our CBD is infused into the gummies in a licensed CBD laboratory using a proprietary infusion technique designed to preserve the gummy flavors while providing the maximum amount of CBD possible per gummy. All of that leads to a party in your mouth and, hopefully, other great benefits like a sense of decreased anxiety, mood regulation, and better sleep!

Hemp gummies vs CBD gummies

When you see companies talking about their hemp gummies, it's basically a marketing tactic. Hemp and CBD gummies are the same—it's honestly just easier to market hemp since platforms like Facebook and other social networks categorize CBD as a drug and hemp as...not a drug. That's progress from those Claire's hemp necklace days, but we still have a ways to go.

If you'd like to call our CBD gummies "hemp gummies" because it makes you comfier, by all means. You do you!

Benefits of CBD gummies

As we mentioned in our last blog about CBD and mommy wine culture and Adele, there are a ton of benefits of CBD. CBD gummies and CBD oils, taken orally, can positively affect your:

• Mental health
• Sleep / sleep deprivation
• Hormone regulation
• Pain perception
• Seizures
• Digestion
• Etc. etc. etc.

CBD oils applied topically can help with chronic pain, general pain relief, and even replace prescription medications. Of course, you'll want to talk to a healthcare professional because we are not one, but we can tell you that pretty much everyone we talk to who has used CBD products has said even a small dose of CBD has gone a long way.

The thing is, CBD isn't being studied that widely by scientists and researchers (yet), but there is more information coming out weekly that reinforces its benefits. We're hopeful! It's also one of those things where you might have to trust us and see for yourself. If you're reading this, you're probably well down the path already, and that's a really good thing!

CBD safety and side effects

One of the main things we hear people worrying about when it comes to taking CBD gummies and using topicals is safety.

This goes back to the general lack of information (as well as some misinformation floating around) about CBD, edibles, and overall CBD use. So, let's get into it, but, first thing's first: just like those OG hemp necklaces, no CBD product will get you high.

In fancy words, CBD doesn't contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana that produces a high. Here's what the Mayo Clinic is saying:

Currently, the only CBD product approved by the Food and Drug Administration is a prescription oil called Epidiolex. It's approved to treat two types of epilepsy. Aside from Epidiolex, state laws on the use of CBD vary. While CBD is being studied as a treatment for a wide range of conditions, including Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and anxiety, research supporting the drug's benefits is still limited.

And, that's the whole rub, if you'll excuse our CBD-adjacent pun (you know, because a lot of CBD topicals are rubs, including ours. The pun doesn't totally work, but we're rolling with it...another one of our topicals is in a roller ;). We just can't help ourselves with these!).

We like to frame CBD side effects in the positive—like, decreased sense of anxiety and worldly doom (again, just us?), better moods, and fewer health problems since stress leads to basically everything—but this is an academic exercise, so we'll reference some of the science-y commentary that already exists.

Back to our friends at the Mayo Clinic:

CBD use also carries some risks. Though it's often well-tolerated, CBD can cause side effects, such as dry mouth, diarrhea, reduced appetite, drowsiness and fatigue. CBD can also interact with other medications you're taking, such as blood thinners [...] If you plan to use products containing CBD, talk to your doctor.

Our CBD gummies and topicals

Our CBD gummies and topicals are *brushes shoulders off* top-notch. They come from hemp that is sourced from licensed USA hemp farms. Then, gummies are made in a licensed CBD laboratory using a proprietary infusion technique designed to preserve the gummy flavors while providing the maximum amount of CBD possible per gummy.

We stand behind every product, test them personally, and, quite honestly, start (and, errr, end) each day with a CBD gummy. Throughout the day, we're rubbing our topicals wherever it hurts.

How many gummies is too many gummies?

This is one of our most frequently-asked questions and it's so pervasive, we answered it on the CBD 101 portion of our website. As a refresher, here's what it says:

Everyone's body is different and we could never assume to know how much CBD you "should" take. A common misconception is that CBD will make you feel differently immediately after you ingest it. Onset is usually 15-60 minutes and benefits usually last for up to 6 hours. Do your own research, and remember that no two bodies are the same.

You don't need to eat CBD gummies as meal replacement by any means (please don't), but the amount that works for you is probably different than the amount that works for your best friend, or your mom, or your husband. Ya know?

As for topicals, Tiger is made with 1500 MG Full Spectrum CBD in a spicy cinnamon balm. She’s got a pump top and comes out nice and pink. She's smooth, silky and ready to soothe! Smear that wherever you could use a little soothing. No amount is too much!

What our customers are saying

The FDA isn't totally on our level with CBD enthusiasm (yet), and we can't speak for every CBD company, but what we can do is share with you some of what our customers are saying about their CBD use.

Topicals:

Amazing product for my back! -Bryan G.

Yep, it is a five star magic wand! -Meghan F.

I use this as a quick massage oil for my tight shoulders. It’s a great size and a fast way to use CBD. No scent and absorbs quickly. Love it. -Allison N.

Gummies:

Not only are they delicious, but it's just the right amount of chill I need in situations where I know I'll be anxious. As a bonus, they also help kill hangovers! -Amanda L. on Tropicana

This is my second Bizzy order. Best gummies of all I’ve tried, and I love the simple, informative descriptions of the products. The Bold variety is great for me for daytime use, when social anxieties hit (new since months of pandemic inflicted social deprivation.) One of these tasty medicinals will smooth me out within about 30 minutes. No high feeling at all, which is perfect. More like a static remover for my mind and body. I also like the Green Queens (1/2 is enough for me) for nighttime when I can’t sleep. I’m nearly 64, no longer a busy mom, but often a busy grandmother. These help me keep my grandma zen in tact. As a teenager in the 70s, I never like smoking weed. These gummies are a major upgrade. I’ll be a loyal customer for life! -Kim M. on Bold and Green Queen

Green Queen!!! The perfect aid to a good night sleep. After a stressful night of putting the kids to sleep I pop one of these and am able to unwind from the day. -Sabrina W on Green Queen

You can see all of our CBD products and reviews here.

Some parting thoughts before our FDA disclosure

Things we learned today:

• Hemp and CBD are basically the same thing. When you see something marketed as a "hemp gummy," it is a CBD gummy
• We make the best CBD gummies and you can buy CBD gummies here
• CBD-infused gummies and topicals (made with hemp oil) help manage a lot of the body and mental frustrations that ail us
• Hemp necklaces do no support the drug lords
• As with many things, our parents were wrong

All half-jokes aside, we believe strongly in CBD gummies and topicals or we wouldn't have created a whole catalog of products.

We most certainly wouldn't be sitting here writing this long-ass blog trying to explain all the confusing shit about it, either. We'd be watching Housewives instead.

Grab yourself your gummy of choice (Tropicana is the gateway), pull that hemp choker out of the Caboodle your parents dropped off on the porch one day when you weren't home so you couldn't say no, slide into a warm bath full of our bath fizz, and report back to us tomorrow.