Those looking for cannabis products often gravitate towards the most potent options; the items with the highest THC content. The goal, in this instance, is to get as stoned as possible in many cases!

Although cannabidiol doesn’t result in an intoxicating high, consumers are now striving to find products with the highest CBD concentrations. CBD isolate is the ‘gold standard’ if you want an incredibly high percentage of the cannabinoid. In this guide, we check out the best CBD isolate brands, and provide more information on this form of cannabidiol.

What Is CBD Isolate?

Isolate CBD products contain practically nothing other than cannabidiol. It is common to find a crystalline powder or oil that is over 99% pure CBD. It still comes from hemp, but all of the plant matter is removed. This means all other cannabinoids, terpenes, and compounds are stripped away.

For those seeking to make the best CBD tincture with no THC, an isolate product is ideal. Those in favor of the practice believe it offers therapeutic benefits. However, there is a suggestion that because you miss out on the ‘entourage effect,’ that a CBD isolate oil is not as effective as its full or broad-spectrum counterparts.

How Does CBD Isolate Differ from Broad and Full-Spectrum Products?

The difference lies in the form of compounds extracted from the hemp plant. Some manufacturers also use CBD isolate derived from specific high-CBD cannabis plants like Charlotte’s Web. Therefore, a company can use the same hemp for a full-spectrum product as it does for an isolate one.

Isolate CBD contains up to 99.9% cannabidiol, and basically nothing else. There is no THC, CBN, CBC, terpenes, waxes, oils, etc. Certain brands decide to add terpenes to the mix after the initial extraction process separates the CBD. The result is a crystalline powder or solid that is exceptionally versatile.

In contrast, a full-spectrum CBD product contains an array of cannabinoids (including THC), terpenes, flavonoids, and other compounds. Broad-spectrum is similar but contains zero THC. Several studies suggest that a combination of cannabinoids and terpenes provides a synergistic interaction called the ‘entourage effect.’ In essence, this effect boosts the individual impacts of every compound involved.

On the plus side, a CBD isolate tincture is guaranteed to have no THC. That is, as long as you buy from a reputable brand that can provide third-party lab reports. You will also find that it is much easier to measure how much you use. Calculating 99.9% of 1,000mg isn’t too taxing a process! As we will show in the third section, there are also a vast number of ways to consume CBD isolate. As there is no taste, you are not in danger of ‘spoiling’ your food or drink by adding the powder to it.

How Do Manufacturers Ensure Only CBD Remains During Extraction?

In the modern era, it is much easier to create the best CBD isolate oil on the market. Brands have the option to attempt an ethanol-based extraction. The issue here is ensuring that nothing more than a trace amount of the solvent remains. Supercritical CO2 extraction is known as the ‘gold standard.’ It involves the use of carbon dioxide as the solvent. There are no concerns over residue, and you get a ‘cleaner’ product. However, the equipment is costly, so CO2 extraction products are usually more expensive.

After the initial extraction process, there are numerous hemp compounds left in the oil. Producing CBD isolate involves another purification process where the remaining plant material is removed. The process, known as ‘winterization,’ separates the waxes, lipids, and fats from extracts. It is an alcohol wash that involves soaking the extract in alcohol. The manufacturer freezes it to separate the pure CBD from the rest of the compounds.

The result is the removal of chlorophyll, terpenes, phytocannabinoids, and other unwanted compounds. Most brands then go ahead with various rounds of rotary evaporation to get rid of any further residual materials. They may also embark on preparative chromatography. This is a process that separates cannabinoids by placing them through different chemicals at a variety of speeds. In this case, the company must use distillation to get rid of these added chemicals!

After this complicated process has finished, there is 99+% pure CBD remaining – at least in theory!

How Do I Use CBD Isolate?

At first glance, you probably don’t think there is much one can do with CBD isolate. After all, it is a flavorless powder. Yet it is a remarkably versatile substance. As a powder, you can place it beneath your tongue to consume it sublingually. As a crystal, it is often added to CBD vape juice to increase the concentration of cannabidiol. Then, it is safe to vape it without clogging your vaping device.

There are plenty of other great isolate CBD consumption ideas. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Infuse Your Coffee or Tea: Assuming you use high-quality CBD isolate, it mixes easily with hot drinks. You won’t even know it’s there! Treat yourself by creating a lavish latte laden with CBD and extra cream!
• Add to Meals: You can stir the powder into soups, sauces, or stir-fries. Most experts believe cannabidiol’s boiling point is between 320- and 356-degrees Fahrenheit. Keep it below 320 degrees when cooking to stay on the safe side.
• Spruce up a Smoothie: If you want to blend fruits for a healthy smoothie, add some isolate to the mix. You can also sprinkle some into your juice, stir, and enjoy.
• CBD Syrup: Create a fast DIY syrup by adding isolate to the honey or syrup you add to your oatmeal or pancakes.
• Enhanced Topicals: You can even add some of the powder to an existing CBD salve to ensure even more of the cannabinoids are absorbed into the skin.

The combination of value and concentration means this form of CBD is a winner.

What Brand Offers the Best CBD Isolate?

Choosing the best CBD isolate brand was a challenging endeavor. It has become a popular form of consumption, and there are many worthy contenders on the market. However, we finally concluded that the following brands were the top three.

• HealthWorx
• CBDistillery
• Medterra

Best Range of Products

CBDistillery provides a trio of options with slightly different purity levels, though one of them is CBG. Its High Purity Powder offers several size options, but they are sadly unavailable at the time of writing.

HealthWorx sells a CBD shatter along with its CBD isolate option. Both products contain similar levels of cannabidiol with minimal THC. The majority of Medterra’s products are isolates. Most brands have a special CBD isolate section to go with their broad-spectrum and full-spectrum items. Medterra does the opposite and is the winner in this category with tinctures, gummies, and topicals.

Best CBD Concentration

This is a tricky category because all products should have almost 100% of the cannabinoid. However, some brands add flavors and other compounds while claiming they are selling isolate! All three companies, in this case, fare extremely well. All CBDistillery products contain 97% or more CBD, which is slightly behind the market leaders.

All of HealthWorx’s products contain at least 99% CBD. It is a similar story with Medterra, which claims its tincture has 99.6% CBD, among the best in the industry. Nonetheless, it is difficult to separate it from HealthWorx, but we believe Medterra offers a slightly better isolate overall.

Best Extraction Process

CBDistillery provides a lot of information about its process. It uses ethanol extraction to extract the crude oil from the plant matter. Next, the oil gets decarboxylated, and then the brand implements the winterization process. At this stage, all that is left is a crystalline powder.

Both Medterra and HealthWorx use a CO2 extraction process. For most consumers, this is preferable to ethanol. That said, CBDistillery ensures that there is no residual solvent left behind. The truth is, all three brands excel in terms of extracting their CBD. It is tempting to leave CBDistillery on the sidelines because it uses ethanol, but its products are so clean that it would do the brand a disservice.

Conclusion

We hope that this guide helps you find the best CBD isolate for your needs. In truth, there are several high-quality brands, which made the process of finding the cream of the crop exceedingly tricky. For the most part, you will do well by focusing on brands that can provide third-party lab reports. This documentation helps you see clear evidence that the product is a true isolate and not filled with other ingredients you don’t want.

It is also advisable to stick with well-established brands in the CBD niche. There are some excellent newcomers, but ‘old hands’ have a long history of satisfying their customers. CBDistillery certainly falls into this category. The Colorado-based brand has dozens of employees and is a significant part of the CBD Movement. It has sold its isolate for a long time, and it remains one of the company’s best-selling products.

The main downside is that you don’t get 99.9% CBD. However, a guarantee of 97% at a minimum is enough for most customers. Find out more by visiting the official CBDistillery website.