Isolate

Isolate

Isolate is the term for an extract where a single cannabinoid has been separated from the rest of the plant's compounds and purified, so it stands almost entirely on its own. The best-known example is CBD isolate, which is typically made from hemp.

More about Isolate

An isolate usually has a purity of 99 percent or more. In its pure form, it often appears as a white, crystalline powder or as small crystals, with little to no smell or taste. That is because the other substances from the plant, such as terpenes like pinene and caryophyllene, flavonoids and other cannabinoids, have been removed in the process.

Isolates are made by first extracting the compounds from the plant's trichomes and then refining the extract in several steps until only one cannabinoid remains. The same basic idea of isolating a compound in crystal form is behind diamonds, while distillate is a highly refined oil that has not been taken quite as far.

Isolate, full spectrum and broad spectrum

Cannabis extracts are often divided into three categories based on how much of the plant they contain:

• Full spectrum: keeps the plant's full profile of cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids.

• Broad spectrum: keeps many of the plant's compounds, but with THC removed.

• Isolate: contains only one cannabinoid, with everything else removed.

In the EU, products based on cannabinoid extracts such as CBD isolate are regulated, among other things under the Novel Food rules, and the rules vary between countries.