What Is Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil?
If you’re a connoisseur of high-end cosmetics, you may have come across a substance called “Cannabis sativa seed oil” listed in the ingredients label of a fancy facial serum or cleanser. What is cannabis seed oil, though, is it actually a cannabis product, and does it get you high?
Spoiler alert: Cannabis sativa seed oil is just a fancier term for hemp seed oil. We’ll explain exactly what cannabis seed oil is how this term came to be as we continue.
What is Cannabis sativa?
Cannabis sativa is the plant that both hemp and cannabis products come from. Tall, lanky — and yes — weedy, Cannabis sativa has hundreds of different subtypes or “strains” that can contain a variety of different cannabinoids.
Only the flowers of female cannabis plants bear usable concentrations of cannabinoids, however. Hemp is not the male cannabis plant: All cannabis strains are found in both male and female plants, and male plants are used to breed new strains.
Even though hemp seeds develop in fertilized female cannabis buds, they don’t contain any cannabinoids. Instead, they contain the nutrients that a new plant needs to grow — some of which your body can also use.
What is Cannabis sativa seed oil?
“Cannabis sativa seed oil” is the same thing as hemp seed oil: A nutrient-rich oil extracted from the cannabinoid-free seeds of the hemp/cannabis plant. Usually only called Cannabis sativa seed oil when used in fancy cosmetics, hemp seed oil has topical as well as nutritional value. Due to its association with a hip substance, “cannabis” seed oil seems to have some inherent marketing value as well.
Is cannabis seed oil the same thing as hemp seed oil?
Yes, cannabis seed oil is the same thing as hemp seed oil. Whether it comes from THC-rich cannabis or low-THC hemp, oil extracted from the seed of a Cannabis sativa plant does not contain usable concentrations of cannabinoids. Instead, it contains omega fatty acids, essential minerals, and other substances that can make it a useful ingredient in food or cosmetics.
Does cannabis seed oil contain cannabinoids?
No, hemp or cannabis seed oil does not contain usable concentrations of cannabinoids. Even sophisticated lab tests usually can’t detect the presence of cannabinoids in hemp seed oil, and even if they do show up, cannabinoids are only present in concentrations below 0.01%. Whether you want to get high with THC or chill out with CBD, taking hemp seed oil is not the way to do it.
Hemp oil vs. CBD oil
Here’s where these terms can get a little bit confusing. “CBD oil,” or CBD-rich hemp flower extract, is sometimes referred to as “hemp oil” since it’s derived from hemp. That sounds a lot like “hemp seed oil,” however, leading consumers to mix up the two types of products.
To be clear, “hemp oil” can technically refer to either CBD-rich hemp flower extract or cannabinoid-free hemp seed extract since both substances are oils derived from hemp. Products derived from hemp seeds, though, should be labeled as such to avoid confusion, and hemp extracts that contain CBD should also be properly identifiable. If you’re not sure whether a product contains hemp seed oil or CBD-rich hemp flower extract, contact the manufacturer to clarify.
What are the benefits of cannabis seed oil?
Some people believe hemp seed oil is useful as a nutritional supplement due to its high concentrations of omega fatty acids — including the coveted omega-3. Hemp seed oil is also a great source of healthy fats, vitamin E, and essential minerals like magnesium, iron, zinc, and potassium. Devoid of considerable side effects, hemp seed oil is abundant and reasonably inexpensive.
What does Cannabis sativa seed oil do for your skin?
Applied topically, hemp or cannabis seed oil is believed to have antioxidant properties due to its high omega fatty acid concentrations. Hemp seed oil also has impressive moisturizing benefits and a light consistency that doesn’t clog pores. Remember, though, that hemp seed oil doesn’t contain any cannabinoids, which might have skin benefits all their own.
What are some hemp seed oil benefits for hair?
Hair gets dehydrated just like skin, in which case the antioxidant benefits of hemp seed oil’s omega acids might be helpful. It’s also important to keep your scalp properly hydrated to prevent dandruff and other conditions, and using a hemp seed oil product on your hair might help. To be effective, though, hemp seed oil needs to stay in your hair for a while, so products like hemp seed oil shampoos and conditioners aren’t that useful.
How to use hemp seed oil
Using hemp seed oil on your face or hair is usually quite easy. Start by finding a high-grade form of hemp seed oil, and transfer it into a pump bottle if it didn’t come in one.
Pump a small amount of hemp seed oil onto your hands, and spread it across your fingers. Lightly work the oil into your skin, and give it time to absorb before making contact with clothing or other surfaces.
If applying hemp seed oil to your hair, cover the tips of your fingers with oil, and work it into your hair from the scalp outward. Apply hemp seed oil to your hair directly after washing it for the best results.
Are there any side effects of hemp seed oil?
Hemp seed oil only rarely has significant adverse effects whether applied topically or ingested orally. This substance generally does not cause any negative effects worse than mild digestive discomfort, and its potential benefits are considerable.
Should I try cannabis seed oil? The bottom line
In the end, there’s only one convincing reason you might not want to use a product that contains cannabis seed oil — the pretension of calling plain-old “hemp seed oil” something as fancy as “Cannabis sativa seed oil.” Just because a product is pretentious doesn’t mean it will hurt you, but the likelihood of containing sub-par ingredients is higher with products that desperately try to convince you they’re fancy.
Otherwise, hemp seed oil doesn’t have any considerable side effects and offers impressive benefits. If you’re willing to move on from the seeds to the flowers of the cannabis plant, cannabinoid-rich hemp extracts can be even more beneficial.
Cannabis seed oil FAQ
What else might you need to know about cannabis seed oil? Find answers to commonly asked questions below:
1. What is a hemp seed oil cleanser?
Hemp seed oil is sometimes included as an ingredient in cleanser products, which are designed to gently clean your face. As an oil, though, it’s unclear exactly how useful hemp seed extracts are for skin cleaning purposes.
2. Are cannabis face oils effective?
Some facial products that contain cannabis ingredients can be effective for their desired purposes, but that all depends on the type of cannabis extract they contain and their other ingredients. There’s a world of difference, for instance, between cannabinoid-rich cannabis flower oil and hemp seed oil when it comes to cosmetics.
3. How much hemp seed oil should you take a day?
Some research indicates that adults can consume up to three tablespoons of hemp seed oil per day, but official dosages for orally consumed hemp seed oil haven’t been established yet. As you determine an ideal dosage of cannabinoid-free hemp seed oil, start small and increase the amount you consume per day as needed.
4. How do you use hemp seed oil for weight loss?
If you’re using hemp seed oil to lose weight, first make sure you’re taking it orally, not applying it topically. Then, consume up to three tablespoons of hemp seed oil per day to take full advantage of the potentially weight-reducing benefits of this plant extract’s omega fatty acids.
5. Does hemp seed oil make you gain weight?
There’s no evidence that taking hemp seed oil will make you gain weight. This plant extract contains practically insignificant concentrations of calories, and the fats it contains are healthy, not fattening. If you’ve gained weight after you started using hemp seed oil, consult with your doctor.
6. Can I use hemp seed oil for anxiety?
There’s no evidence that hemp seed oil is useful for anxiety. People with anxiety much more commonly use the other type of hemp extract, CBD oil. Lots of research has been conducted into the potential benefits of CBD for anxiety, and many users swear by the fast-acting benefits of inhaled hemp products like CBD flower and vape cartridges.
7. Can you use hemp seed oil for arthritis?
There’s limited evidence that using hemp seed oil might be a good idea if you have arthritis. This cannabinoid-free hemp extract contains gamma-linoleic acid (GLA), for instance, which appears to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Hemp seed oil also contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are believed to help with inflammation as well. Most people with arthritis, though, turn to the other side of hemp for help. The potential benefits of CBD for inflammation, for instance, have been thoroughly studied, and this cannabinoid is commonly used for inflammation-related conditions of all types.
