Hemp seed oil contains virtually no CBD. The seeds of the hemp plant do not naturally produce CBD or THC. Any cannabinoids found in hemp seed oil are trace contaminants picked up when seeds contact the resin-coated flowers and leaves during harvesting.
Lab testing of commercial hemp seed oils has found CBD levels ranging from about 6.66 to 63.40 micrograms per milliliter. To put that in perspective, a typical CBD oil product contains 15,000 to 50,000 micrograms per milliliter. The CBD in hemp seed oil is roughly 300 to 1,000 times less concentrated than what you’d find in an actual CBD product.
Why Hemp Seeds Don’t Contain CBD
CBD is produced in the flowers, leaves, and stalks of the hemp plant, not in the seeds. Hemp seeds are essentially just a nutritious food crop. The FDA has stated plainly that “the seeds of the plant do not naturally contain THC or CBD.” The tiny amounts that do show up in finished hemp seed oil come from surface contamination: sticky resin from the plant’s flowers and leaves rubs onto the seed hulls during harvest and gets carried into the oil during pressing.
Because these cannabinoids are fat-soluble, they concentrate slightly in the oil compared to the raw seeds. A study published in Forensic Science International found that hemp seeds themselves contained between 0.32 and 25.55 micrograms of CBD per gram, while the pressed oil contained somewhat higher concentrations. But even the highest measured levels are far too low to produce any therapeutic effect associated with CBD.
How Hemp Seed Oil Differs From CBD Oil
The two products come from completely different parts of the plant and use different extraction methods. Hemp seed oil is made by cold-pressing hemp seeds in an oilseed machine, the same basic process used to make sunflower or flaxseed oil. CBD oil is extracted from the hemp plant’s flowers and biomass using ethanol, CO2, or other solvents designed to pull out concentrated cannabinoids.
Hemp seed oil is a cooking and nutritional oil. It has a favorable 3:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids and contains between 76 and 92 milligrams of vitamin E per 100 grams. It’s valued for its nutritional profile, not for cannabinoid content. CBD oil, on the other hand, exists specifically to deliver a concentrated dose of cannabidiol.
The Labeling Problem
This is where things get confusing for shoppers. Many products sold online, particularly on platforms like Amazon where CBD sales are restricted, use the term “hemp oil” loosely. Some sellers label hemp seed oil in ways that imply it contains meaningful CBD, listing milligram amounts on the front of the bottle that refer to total hemp extract or oil volume rather than actual cannabinoid content. There are no standardized industry terminology requirements distinguishing “hemp oil” from “CBD oil,” which puts the burden on buyers to read labels carefully.
A few things to check: look at the ingredients list. If it says “hemp seed oil” or “Cannabis sativa seed oil,” you’re getting a nutritional oil with no meaningful CBD. If it lists “hemp extract,” “cannabidiol,” or “CBD” and includes a per-serving milligram amount of cannabidiol, it’s a CBD product. The FDA requires hemp seed-derived ingredients to be declared by name on the label, and legitimate CBD products will include a certificate of analysis showing third-party lab results for cannabinoid content.
Is Hemp Seed Oil Worth Buying?
Yes, but not for CBD. Hemp seed oil is a recognized food ingredient. The FDA completed its safety evaluation in 2018 and confirmed that hulled hemp seeds, hemp seed protein powder, and hemp seed oil are all generally recognized as safe for use in food. It’s a solid source of essential fatty acids and works well as a salad oil, a smoothie ingredient, or a skin moisturizer.
If you’re looking for the effects associated with CBD, such as relief from anxiety, inflammation, or sleep difficulties, hemp seed oil will not deliver them. The trace cannabinoids present are hundreds of times below the doses used in clinical research. You would need a product specifically formulated and labeled as CBD oil, with verified cannabinoid concentrations, to get those effects.