What is Broad Spectrum?
Full Spectrum, Broad Spectrum, and Isolate refer to types of cannabis extracts, also called concentrates. The terms are intended to indicate the amount of plant-produced therapeutic chemicals present in addition to the primary cannabinoids (CBD and/or THC); they are a shorthand way of conveying the diversity of bioactive material in a given extract.
CBD also contains several cannabis plant compounds, but it is typically entirely free of THC.
One of the compounds in a broad-spectrum CBD is Terpenes that can cause an entourage effect. The definition of the Entourage Effect is relatively simple; it is the theory that cannabinoids have more favourable actions when delivered with a higher proportion of native phytochemicals such as terpenes, flavonoids and other cannabinoids. This manifests as both amplification of positive effects (efficacy) and modulation of undesirable ones (tolerability).
Thus Broad Spectrum applies to extractions that aim to retain a large complement of phytochemicals without the THC, which allows for some Entourage Effect action. Hemp, defined as cannabis plants containing less than 0.3% THC, forms the basis for most Broad Spectrum extracts.
Broad Spectrum can also be created by either adding terpenes, flavonoids and minor cannabinoids to CBD isolate, or by removing THC from Full Spectrum extract via distillation. Compared to Full Spectrum, Broad Spectrum extracts are slightly lighter in colour and while their flavour profiles are similar, they are not as hemp-forward and bold.