Full spectrum, broad spectrum or isolate (CBG, CBN): which CBD should you stock?

By Manon, CBD specialist at Deli Hemp Pro

Updated 22 October 2026.

A full-spectrum CBD extract keeps the plant's cannabinoids and terpenes, THC included, below the 0.3% threshold applied in France. A broad-spectrum extract is the same thing with the THC taken out. An isolate is a single molecule purified to 99% or more: CBD, CBG or CBN. In between sits distillate, a refined extract that is very high in CBD.

For a business that manufactures or repacks, the choice depends less on preference than on the end use. Here is how to find your way, using the raw materials we have in stock.

Full spectrum, broad spectrum, distillate or isolate: what is the difference?

Prices excl. VAT, recorded on 22 October 2026. Discounts apply to the total quantity of a product: 5% off from 10 units, 10% from 30, 15% from 50 and 20% from 100 units, which brings CBD isolate to €0.26/g and distillate to €0.52/g at the top tier. The CBG isolate has only 6.7 kg left in bulk, so its 10 kg tier cannot be reached with the bulk format alone.

What do businesses use these raw materials for?

Mostly for making other products. The most common uses among our customers:

• Cosmetics (creams, balms, massage oils): in the EU the finished product falls under Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, with a safety assessment, a responsible person in the EU and a CPNP notification. In Great Britain the equivalents are the UK cosmetics regulation and SCPN notification.
• E-liquids and cartridges: distillate or isolate, diluted and flavoured.
• “THC-free” resins and pollens, rebuilt from isolate. We cover them in our article on THC-free CBD resin.

One use is ruled out: food. CBD extracts are “novel foods” under Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, and no CBD food ingredient has been authorised in the EU so far. France tightened its controls in May 2026 and withdrew CBD foods from sale; in Great Britain, CBD in food goes through the Food Standards Agency's novel food process. An isolate sold as it is should be labelled “not for consumption” and never presented as a supplement.

Full spectrum or isolate: which one should you choose?

If you formulate cosmetics, isolate is the simplest option: it is stable, can be dosed to the milligram and raises no question about THC. For an e-liquid or cartridge that should keep a plant-like taste, distillate topped up with terpenes gets you closer to the flower.

Full spectrum remains the choice for those who want something as close to the plant as possible. It is often linked to an “entourage effect” between cannabinoids and terpenes; that is still a debated hypothesis and not something to use as a sales argument.

Whatever you pick, the question for the supplier is the same: which lab report, for which batch? A 99.8% isolate is judged on its certificate, just like a flower. We explain how to read one in our CBD COA guide. Our products comply with French law (delta-9-THC no higher than 0.3%). The rules for reselling hemp products differ from one country to the next, and the status of hemp flower and resin in the UK remains contested: check what you may sell locally before you order.

Why stock CBG and CBN isolates?

Because these molecules are scarce in the plant. CBG comes from CBGA, the precursor of the other cannabinoids, and most strains keep only small amounts of it at maturity. CBN forms when THC oxidises over time or with heat. As isolates, both can be dosed precisely, which a flower never allows.

CBN needs extra care: since it derives from THC, check the batch report to confirm that residual delta-9-THC stays below the threshold. Our CBG and CBN range goes beyond isolates, with resins, pollens and flowers covered in our article on wholesale CBG, CBN and CBC. The processes behind these extracts (CO2, ethanol, distillation) are described in our article on extraction methods.

See the Crystal isolate 99.8% CBD and its lab report

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between CBD isolate and distillate?

Isolate is pure CBD, at 99% or more, as crystals or powder, with no other cannabinoid. Distillate is a refined extract, liquid or paste-like, very high in CBD (90% for ours) but with traces of other cannabinoids. Any THC has to be checked on the batch report.

Does CBD isolate contain THC?

Normally not: purification removes the other cannabinoids, and THC comes out as “ND” (not detected) on the lab report. That is exactly what you need to confirm on the certificate for the batch you receive, together with the laboratory's limit of quantification.

Can CBD isolate go into a food product?

Not in the EU at present. Extracted CBD falls under the Novel Food regulation and has no authorisation, and France removed CBD foods from sale in May 2026. The usual trade uses are cosmetics, e-liquids and the manufacture of products that are not swallowed.

Is broad spectrum THC-free?

That is the idea: a broad-spectrum extract keeps the other cannabinoids and terpenes, but its THC has been removed. As with any “THC-free” claim, only the batch report proves it, with a result of “ND” or below the lab's limit of quantification.