CBD: What Is It and Where Does It Come From?

CBD and the cannabis plant

CBD is one of the best-known cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant and is used today in everything from oils and drops to top buds and other cannabis products. The abbreviation stands for cannabidiol, a naturally occurring compound found in cannabis and hemp.

But what exactly is CBD, where does it come from, and why does the term appear on so many different products? Here, we take a closer look at the cannabinoid and its place in modern cannabis terminology.

What is CBD?

CBD stands for cannabidiol and is a cannabinoid – one of the naturally occurring chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant.

Cannabis contains a wide range of cannabinoids. Among the best known are CBD and THCA, but there are also lesser-known compounds such as CBG and CBN. The composition and amount of each cannabinoid vary depending on factors such as plant genetics and cultivation.

CBD is therefore not a specific cannabis plant or a particular product. It is the name of one of the compounds that the plant can contain.

CBD oil from Weedshop

Where does CBD come from?

CBD forms naturally in the cannabis plant and is found particularly in the resin-rich trichomes located on the flowers and other parts of the plant.

Trichomes are the small, crystal-like structures that can give cannabis flowers their frosted appearance. This is where the plant produces cannabinoids and terpenes, which together contribute to its chemical profile.

The amount of CBD varies from strain to strain. Some cannabis plants are genetically developed to have a CBD-dominant cannabinoid profile, while others may contain higher concentrations of THCA.

It is therefore the plant’s genetics and cannabinoid profile, rather than simply the label cannabis or hemp, that tell you more about which cannabinoids it contains.

What is the difference between CBD and THC?

CBD and THC both come from the cannabis plant, but they are two different cannabinoids with different chemical structures and properties.

One key difference is that CBD does not have the same psychoactive properties as THC. However, this does not mean that all CBD products automatically have the same composition. A product may contain several different cannabinoids, which is why the specific cannabinoid profile matters.

THC content also plays a central role in cannabis product regulations. This is why laboratory testing and third-party analyses are used to document levels of CBD, THC and other cannabinoids.

CBD and THC should therefore be understood as two different compounds from the same plant rather than as two different types of cannabis.

What is CBD oil?

CBD oil is a product form in which CBD is included in an oil. The cannabinoid is typically combined with a carrier oil, giving the finished product a liquid and uniform consistency.

The term itself, however, does not tell you exactly how the product is composed. CBD oils can vary in concentration, extraction method and cannabinoid profile.

CBD products are therefore often labelled with a percentage or other information about their contents. Laboratory data can also be used to document the specific composition.

CBD oil should not be confused with cannabis oil as a general term. Cannabis oil can refer to various oil-based products and cannabinoid profiles, while CBD oil specifically refers to products in which CBD is a central component.

What are CBD drops?

CBD drops is a term commonly used for liquid CBD products that come in a bottle with a pipette or another drop dispenser.

For this reason, the terms CBD oil and CBD drops are often used for overlapping product forms. CBD oil describes the oil-based product itself, while CBD drops more specifically refers to the format and the way the liquid is dispensed.

You cannot necessarily determine the exact contents of a product from the word “drops” alone. Information about CBD concentration, other cannabinoids, ingredients and laboratory analysis provides a more precise description.

CBD is found in several different product forms

Although CBD is often associated with oils and drops, the cannabinoid is not limited to one particular product category.

CBD can be found in:

cannabis flowers and top buds
CBD oil and drops
hash and resin-based products
extracts and concentrates
capsules and other specialist products

What these products have in common is the cannabinoid CBD, while their structure, production and overall composition can be very different.

A CBD top bud, for example, retains the cannabis flower’s natural Nug structure and trichomes, while CBD oil is a processed liquid product. CBD therefore primarily describes the contents rather than the physical form of the product.

How is the content of a CBD product assessed?

When looking at a CBD product, the percentage is only one part of the description. The complete cannabinoid profile can provide a more detailed picture of what the product contains.

This is where laboratory testing and third-party analysis play an important role. An analysis can show the concentration of CBD and other cannabinoids as well as document the product’s THC content.

This is particularly relevant because two products both marketed as CBD do not necessarily have the same composition. Genetics, raw materials, extraction and production methods can all affect the final product.

The term CBD should therefore be considered alongside specific information about the product’s contents rather than as a complete description on its own.

CBD as part of cannabis terminology

CBD has developed from being primarily a chemical name into a broad category within cannabis terminology. You will therefore come across terms such as CBD oil, CBD drops, CBD hash and CBD flower.

This can create some confusion because CBD itself does not describe a specific format. A CBD flower and a CBD oil, for example, can be very different products even though both are associated with the same cannabinoid.

Similarly, terms such as THC and THCA describe specific cannabinoids, while words such as hash, flower and oil tell you more about the actual product form.

Understanding the difference between a cannabinoid and a product category therefore makes it easier to navigate the many terms used in modern cannabis terminology.