In short: The entourage effect is the idea that hemp's compounds (CBD, plus other cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids) work better together than CBD does alone. It's the thinking behind whole-plant CBD, which is generally seen as working better than pure isolate.
Keeping the fuller range of the plant, rather than isolating out pure CBD, was one of our first decisions at unspun.
What is the entourage effect?
At heart, it's a familiar idea from food. The closer something is to its whole, natural form, the better it tends to be for us. A whole orange does more for you than a vitamin C tablet. Nature has a habit of making things that work well together.
The same looks to be true of CBD. CBD comes from hemp, and hemp isn't just CBD. It holds more than 140 cannabinoids, along with aromatic compounds called terpenes and flavonoids. The entourage effect is the idea that all of these do more together than CBD manages alone.
The closer you get to the whole plant, the better it tends to be.
Does all CBD give you the entourage effect?
No. It comes down to how much of the plant your product keeps, which is the difference between the 3 types of CBD you'll see on a label. Our columnist Ruby Deevoy sets them out plainly in her guide to isolate versus broad spectrum, but here's the short version:
- CBD isolate is pure CBD, with every other compound stripped out. On its own, it can't give you the entourage effect.
- Broad-spectrum keeps the wider range of cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids, but with almost all of the THC removed.
- Full-spectrum keeps everything, including the plant's natural THC.
Isolate gives you that single molecule and nothing else. Broad and full spectrum keep the supporting compounds, and that is where the entourage effect comes from. As Ruby puts it, when it comes to choosing, you "can't go wrong with broad spectrum."
This is also why you won't find a full-spectrum oil from us. True full spectrum keeps the plant's natural THC, and that THC occurs in proportion to the CBD. UK law caps THC at a fixed amount per bottle, and that cap doesn't rise as the oil gets stronger, so a full-spectrum oil at a genuinely useful strength would carry too much THC to be legal here. We make our broad-spectrum oil instead: the same supporting compounds (CBDA, CBDV, CBG and CBC), with almost all of the THC taken out. You still get the benefits of the entourage effect, without anything psychoactive (the high, as people might call it).
What do terpenes have to do with the entourage effect?
Terpenes are the aromatic compounds that give plants their smell: the citrus of a lemon, the calm of lavender, the sharpness of pine. Hemp is full of them, and they're thought to be a big part of the entourage effect.
Some have genuinely interesting properties. Linalool, the compound behind lavender, has the most research behind it for calm. Caryophyllene, a peppery terpene, is unusual because it binds directly to receptors in your body's endocannabinoid system, the only terpene known to do so. We go through the full line-up in our piece on what terpenes are and why they matter.
Is the entourage effect backed by science?
It's promising but still early. The entourage effect was first set out properly by the researcher Ethan Russo, who described how the compounds in cannabis might work better in combination (Russo, 2011). Plenty of research has explored the idea since, though much of it is early and still to be confirmed in large human trials.
So we're careful not to overstate it. What we can say is that the World Health Organization's 2018 review found CBD to be generally well tolerated, with no potential for abuse, and that the case for keeping hemp's natural compounds together was strong enough to guide how we make everything we sell.
Which unspun products give you the entourage effect?
If the entourage effect is what you're after, you want whole-plant products. Our broad-spectrum CBD oil keeps that natural range of cannabinoids and terpenes intact. Our CBD gummies go a step further: at a low dose per piece they can stay full-spectrum while keeping within UK limits, so they hold the widest range of compounds of anything we make. Our CBD chocolate is made with pure CBD isolate instead. That makes for a clean, mellow dose that keeps the rich flavour front and centre, though it won't give you the entourage effect in the same way.
Not sure where to start? Our dosage calculator will point you to a sensible amount for your size and goals.
References
- Russo, E.B. (2011). Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects. British Journal of Pharmacology, 163(7), 1344–1364. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21749363
- World Health Organization (2018). Cannabidiol (CBD): Critical Review Report. Expert Committee on Drug Dependence. cdn.who.int
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you're taking medication, consult your GP before using CBD.