CBD oil vs hemp seed oil vs cannabis oil: what differs
Hemp seed oil is a food oil pressed from the seeds, which make no cannabinoids. CBD oil is an extract of flowers and leaves, diluted in an oil and dosed in cannabidiol. "Cannabis oil" usually means a THC-rich extract, a controlled drug in France outside the medical framework. All three come from Cannabis sativa L., each from a different part of the plant and under its own rules.
Key takeaways
- Hemp seeds make no cannabinoids; the traces in their oil come from resin stuck to the outside of the seed.
- Hemp seed oil has been capped at 7.5 mg of THC per kilo, THCA included, since 1 January 2023.
- As an extract, CBD oil falls under the 0.30% Δ⁹-THC limit, which equals 3,000 mg per kilo.
- According to the French Ministry of Agriculture, hemp seed oil is an authorised food and foods containing CBD are not.
- The part of the plant and the stated CBD content, both printed on the label, usually tell them apart.
Three oils, three parts of the plant
The three share a species and differ in the organ used and the process applied. Cannabinoids, CBD and THC alike, are made in trichomes, the tiny resin glands found mostly on female flowers and the bracts around them. The seed itself makes none.
| Hemp seed oil | CBD oil | "Cannabis oil" | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the plant | Seeds | Flowers and leaves | Flowers of THC-rich varieties |
| Process | Cold pressing | Extraction, then dilution in an oil | Extraction |
| Cannabinoids | Traces | Dosed CBD, in % or mg | THC in quantity |
| THC limit | 7.5 mg/kg (THC + THCA) | 0.30% Δ⁹-THC | None: controlled drug |
| Status in France | Authorised food | Not as a food; other uses depending on the product | Banned outside the medical framework |
Hemp seed oil: a food, not a CBD product
Hemp seed oil is cold-pressed from the seeds, the way walnut oil is pressed from walnuts, and its interest is nutritional. An analysis published in 2020 in Scientific Reports measured 60.52% linoleic acid (omega-6) and 18.44% alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3). Polyunsaturated fatty acids made up 84.11% of the total, with an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 3.3 to 1.
Italian researchers accounted for the traces of cannabinoids in a 2019 study of ten commercial oils: the seed is void of cannabinoids inside, but its surface can be contaminated by the sticky resin of the trichomes on the bracts. Well-cleaned seeds yield an oil with traces only. The same authors cite an earlier study that found commercial oils above 10 mg of total THC and 1,000 mg of total CBD per kilo.
Even that extreme case is a long way from a CBD oil. At 1,000 mg per kilo, an oil holds 0.1% CBD, whereas a 10% CBD oil contains roughly 100,000 mg per kilo, 100 times as much.
Food law now sets limits. Regulation (EU) 2022/1393, applicable since 1 January 2023, caps hemp seed oil at 7.5 mg of THC per kilo and seeds and their other derived products at 3.0 mg/kg. THC and its acid form, THCA, are added together, since food processing can turn one into the other. An oil above 10 mg/kg would fail today.
Hemp seed oil is still sold as a food. The French Ministry of Agriculture's statement of 20 May 2026 confirms that hemp seeds and their derivatives, seed oils included, are authorised. The conditions are that they respect the maximum THC levels and contain no added cannabinoid extract. Our article on hemp seeds covers their status in detail.
CBD oil: a dosed extract under the 0.30% limit
CBD oil is made from flowers and leaves. The cannabinoids are extracted, usually with supercritical CO₂ or ethanol, and the extract is diluted in a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil (MCT), olive oil or hemp seed oil itself. That is why a CBD oil can list "hemp seed oil" among its ingredients and still differ from a plain seed oil. Each step is described in our article on how CBD oil is made.
The content is given as a percentage or in milligrams per bottle. Some extracts contain CBD alone (isolate); others also carry other cannabinoids and terpenes. Our page on full spectrum explains what the words "full spectrum" cover.
Its THC limit comes from the French order of 30 December 2021: 0.30% Δ⁹-THC in hemp extracts and the products containing them, or 3,000 mg per kilo. That is 400 times the limit for hemp seed oil.
The intended use decides the status. According to the same ministry, foods containing CBD are not authorised under Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 on novel foods and must be withdrawn from the market. A CBD oil sold as a food supplement falls under that withdrawal. The other regimes, cosmetics among them, are described in our overview of CBD regulation in 2026. The catalogue's oils, including the full-spectrum oil, are grouped in the CBD oils category.
"Cannabis oil": a THC-rich extract, banned
No law defines the term. In everyday speech it means an extract of THC-rich varieties, "Rick Simpson Oil" for instance. An extract above 0.30% Δ⁹-THC is outside the framework of authorised hemp and comes under the narcotics rules, so selling or possessing it is prohibited.
Medical cannabis takes a separate route, overseen by the French medicines agency, the ANSM. The French experiment ended on 31 December 2024. The ANSM's dossier, updated on 20 April 2026, says patients already enrolled continue their treatment during a transition phase. That phase will end three months after the opinion of the French health authority (HAS). Our article on medical cannabis in 2026 has the latest. Epidyolex, the only authorised CBD-based medicine, is a separate case again, dispensed on prescription.
Reading the label: four reliable clues
In most cases, four lines of the label tell you what is in the bottle.
| Clue | Hemp seed oil | CBD oil |
|---|---|---|
| Main ingredient | "Hemp seed oil" alone | Hemp extract or CBD, plus a carrier oil |
| Cannabinoid content | None stated | CBD in % or mg per bottle |
| Spectrum mention | Absent | Full spectrum, broad spectrum or isolate |
| Stated use | Dressing, cooking | Depends on the product; never as a food in France |
In English, "hemp oil" can mean either product, and only the ingredient list decides. For a CBD oil, the batch certificate of analysis gives the actual CBD and THC content. Our guide to reading a certificate of analysis takes each line in turn, and the laboratory page describes the measurement methods.
Frequently asked questions
Only traces, from resin stuck to the outside of the seeds. The most loaded oils reported in the literature, at around 1,000 mg per kilo, still hold about 100 times less CBD than a 10% CBD oil.
Hemp seed oil, as long as it stays within the limit of 7.5 mg of THC per kilo and has no added cannabinoids. The Ministry of Agriculture's statement of 20 May 2026 says foods containing CBD are not authorised.
Not always. The English term covers both seed oil and CBD oil. Look at the ingredients and the stated CBD content; when no content is shown, the bottle almost always holds a seed oil.
No, once it exceeds 0.30% Δ⁹-THC, because it is then a controlled drug. Medical cannabis follows its own channel, overseen by the ANSM and limited, during the transition phase, to patients from the experiment.
Written by the Phytogrammes team
Each journal article draws on cited primary sources: ANSM, EFSA, EUR-Lex and peer-reviewed publications. Product profiles are distinguished from documented laboratory results. Our approach.
Article published on . CBD is not a medicine.