Major difference

Legal status

What do the studies say?

Production costs

To finish

What's natural is always better, and what's synthetic is just a low-end imitation, right? In reality, the answer may not be as simple as it seems. In this article, we'll tackle that question by taking a closer look at the key differences between natural and synthetic CBD.

Major difference

These two kinds of CBD differ in the way they are produced: natural CBD is directly derived from cannabis sativa plants, while the synthetic version is created through chemical or biological processes in the laboratory (for example, in the using yeast). Synthetic components are often used to manufacture drug products. Synthetic CBD takes the form of a crystalline powder that may resemble natural CBD isolate.

Legal status

Apart from the most basic differences between natural and synthetic components, a few other important aspects deserve our attention. In general, synthetic CBD undergoes less strict controls than natural CBD, which is regulated by the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and classified in Category IV. CBD products with a THC content of less than 0.2% are exempt from international controls. You can learn more about the latest UN ruling on CBD in one of our articles. On the other hand, synthetic CBD is not subject to international regulations as a narcotic, as the Convention specifically mentions “the fruits and flowers of the cannabis plant”.

What do the studies say?

Let's look at these two types of CBD from a scientific perspective. A study points out that synthetic CBD could become a reasonable alternative to natural CBD. This study demonstrates that synthetic CBD is generally well absorbed orally. However, a later study claims that synthetic CBD may have more side effects compared to its natural version. Additionally, chronic use of synthetic components has been associated with serious health problems.

Production costs

Indeed, synthesizing CBD has a number of advantages. In fact, this process involves fewer chemicals than CO2 or gas extraction (you can learn more about ways to extract CBD in one of our previous articles). During the manufacture of synthetic CBD, the risk of getting any residual substances such as fungi or herbicides in the final product is avoided. Therefore, the synthetic components are perfectly identical and pure.

As for the difference in long-term manufacturing cost of these two components, unfortunately, so far, there have been no studies to measure it. However, the general belief is that the manufacture of synthetic chemical substances consumes less and saves water and territorial resources. After all, most synthetics on the market seem cheaper, as the production process is less sophisticated and quite efficient.

To finish

As you can see by now, the synthetic CBD debate is far from over. However, we notice that the general attitude of “what is natural is good and what is synthetic is bad” is quite misguided. We hope that further research and clinical studies will help us know more details and clarify the subject, but for now there is not much else to do but stay tuned. of any developments in this regard. If you have any further questions on this or other CBD-related topics, please do not hesitate to contact our team of professionals for assistance.