CBD Glossary: Key Terms Explained

Short, sourced definitions of the terms on CBD labels, lab reports and in research, from CBDA and decarboxylation to LOQ, novel food and exempt product.

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This CBD glossary explains the terms that appear on CBD labels, lab reports and in research, from CBDA to “limit of quantification”. Each definition is short and sourced, and many link to a full guide.

Terms are grouped by topic: the plant’s compounds, extract types, product forms, lab reports, absorption, and regulation and drug testing. Where a word has a legal meaning in one place but not another, the entry says so, with the date it was checked.

On this page

Cannabinoids and Plant Compounds

Cannabinoid

A family of compounds produced by the cannabis plant, of which CBD and THC are the best known. In the plant, most are first made as acids. [1]

CBD (cannabidiol)

A cannabinoid generally regarded as non-intoxicating, unlike THC. Purified CBD is also the active substance of a prescription medicine. [2] What is CBD? covers it in full.

CBDA (cannabidiolic acid)

The acid form of CBD that the plant actually makes. An enzyme, CBDA synthase, converts the precursor CBGA into CBDA. [1]

CBG and CBGA

CBGA (cannabigerolic acid) is the shared precursor from which the plant makes the acids of CBD, THC and CBC. CBG (cannabigerol) is its neutral form. [1] See CBG vs CBD.

CBN (cannabinol)

A cannabinoid that forms mainly when THC and its acid oxidise, for example as plant material ages. [1] See CBN vs CBD.

CBC (cannabichromene)

A cannabinoid made from CBGA by a third enzyme, which produces its acid form, CBCA. [1]

THC and Δ9-THC

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main intoxicating cannabinoid in cannabis. In the plant it is made as THCA. [1] CBD vs THC compares the two.

THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin)

A cannabinoid related to THC but with a shorter (propyl) side chain. It is not the same molecule as Δ9-THC. [1] Regulatory status is covered in CBC and THCV.

THCA

The acid form of THC. Heat converts it into THC, which is why US hemp testing rules count it towards total THC. [3] [4]

Decarboxylation

The loss of a carboxyl group as carbon dioxide, which turns a cannabinoid acid into its neutral form: CBDA into CBD, THCA into THC. Heat speeds it up. [3]

Terpenes

Aromatic plant compounds. New York’s definition of a full-spectrum extract names terpenes among the compounds it keeps. [5]

Entourage effect

The idea that CBD works better alongside the plant’s other compounds than on its own. A 2023 scoping review called the research “in its infancy”, with contradictory findings and clinical support resting mostly on anecdotal and real-world data. [6]

Synthetic CBD

CBD made by chemical synthesis rather than extracted from the plant. The EU cosmetic ingredient database lists it as a separate entry, and EFSA assessed a synthetic CBD as a novel food in 2026. [7] [8]

Extract Types

Full-spectrum

An extract that keeps multiple cannabinoids, terpenes and other natural compounds, usually including small amounts of THC. New York defines it as processed “without intentional complete removal of any compound”. [5] See full-spectrum vs broad-spectrum CBD.

Broad-spectrum

An extract that keeps other cannabinoids and compounds but has had THC removed. New York requires THC to be non-detectable, which depends on how sensitive the test was. [5]

CBD isolate

Highly purified CBD, made by crystallisation. New York sets the bar at 95% or more of a single cannabinoid; the isolate EFSA assessed in 2026 was at least 98% CBD. [5] [9]

Distillate

An extract in which cannabinoids have been concentrated by heating and cooling, a process called distillation. It sits between a crude extract and an isolate. [5]

As of 27 October 2026, we found no definition of “full-spectrum”, “broad-spectrum” or “isolate” in the EU novel food guidance on cannabinoids, the UK Home Office factsheet on CBD or the US federal definition of hemp. [10] [11] [12] New York is the exception we found; elsewhere, the label is usually the brand’s own description. [5]

Hemp seed oil

Oil pressed from hemp seeds. The EU cosmetic ingredient database defines Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil as “the fixed oil expressed from the seeds”, and lists plant extracts separately. [7] See CBD oil vs hemp seed oil.

Product Forms

CBD oil (tincture)

A CBD extract dissolved in an edible carrier oil, sold in a dropper bottle. Some studies and brands call these tinctures. [13] The CBD oil guide explains how to read one.

Carrier oil and MCT oil

The edible oil a CBD extract is dissolved in. MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oil is common, and some absorption studies use it as the reference formulation. [14]

Capsules and softgels

Dose forms for swallowing whole. EU food supplement law lists capsules among the dose forms for supplements, alongside “drop dispensing bottles”. [15] CBD capsules vs CBD oil compares the two.

Gummies

Chewable sweets with CBD added, made with a gelling agent such as gelatin or pectin. See what are CBD gummies.

Water-soluble CBD

CBD formulated to mix with water, usually as tiny droplets or a powder with a carrier. One type, a self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS), forms an emulsion on contact with fluid. [14] See water-soluble CBD.

Nanoemulsion and nanomaterial

Formulations with very small particles. EFSA has separate guidance for assessing nanomaterials in food, and its 2026 provisional CBD figure excludes nanoparticles. [16] [9]

Topical and cosmetic product

A product applied to the skin. EU law defines a cosmetic as a product for the external parts of the body, teeth or mouth, mainly to clean, perfume, protect or change their appearance, or to correct body odours. [17]

Food supplement

In EU law, a concentrated source of nutrients or other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect, sold in dose form to supplement the normal diet. [15] Types of CBD products sorts products by form and category.

Lab Report Terms

Certificate of analysis (COA)

A laboratory report on one batch of a product, listing what was measured and the results. It describes that batch on the test date. See how to read a CBD lab report.

Batch number

The code linking a pack to the batch that was tested. It should match the number on the COA, because content can vary between batches.

Cannabinoid panel

The list of cannabinoids a laboratory tested for. A short panel can only rule out what it measured.

Limit of detection (LOD)

The lowest amount of a substance that a test can detect, “but not necessarily quantitate as an exact value”. [18]

Limit of quantification (LOQ)

The lowest amount a test can measure “with suitable precision and accuracy”. A result of “<LOQ” means the substance may be present below that level, not that it is absent. [18]

ND (not detected)

Below the test’s limit of detection. ND is not the same as zero, and its meaning depends on the method’s sensitivity. [18]

Total THC

A figure combining THC and THCA. US hemp rules calculate it as Δ9-THC plus 0.877 × THCA. [4]

Label accuracy

How closely measured CBD matches the label. In a 2024 US study of 202 products, funded by Jazz Pharmaceuticals, 74% deviated from their label by at least 10%. [13]

Contaminant testing

Tests for heavy metals, residual solvents, pesticides and microbes. In the same study, residual solvents were detected in 181 of 202 products and heavy metals in 44, mostly below regulatory thresholds. [13]

Absorption Terms

Pharmacokinetics

How the body absorbs, distributes, breaks down and removes a substance over time. [19]

Bioavailability

The share of a dose that reaches the bloodstream. A 2018 review of 24 human studies found none that had measured CBD’s absolute oral bioavailability. [19]

Cmax, Tmax and AUC

Cmax is the peak blood concentration, Tmax the time taken to reach it, and AUC (area under the curve) total exposure over time. [19]

Half-life

The time taken for the blood concentration of a substance to fall by half. [19]

First-pass metabolism

The breakdown of a swallowed substance in the gut wall and liver before it reaches the rest of the body. [19]

Sublingual

Under the tongue. In a small 2023 crossover study, CBD oil held under the tongue and the same oil in capsules gave similar blood profiles. [20]

Food effect

A change in absorption when a substance is taken with food. In a 2018 study of the prescription CBD medicine, run by its manufacturer, a high-fat meal raised peak levels several-fold. [21]

Regulation and Drug Testing Terms

Novel food

In EU law, food not consumed to a significant degree in the EU before 15 May 1997. It needs a safety assessment and authorisation before sale. [22] The European Commission treats extracts of Cannabis sativa and products containing cannabinoids, including CBD, as novel; whether a particular product is caught depends on what it contains and how it is used. [10]

Union list

The EU list of authorised novel foods. As of 27 October 2026 we found no CBD food on it. [23]

FSA public list (UK)

The UK Food Standards Agency also classes CBD as a novel food. Products linked to applications under assessment are tolerated on the market and listed publicly. [24] In September 2026 an FSA Board paper recommended authorising the first three; as of 27 October 2026 we found no ministerial decision. [25]

Exempt product (UK)

A test in the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. A product containing a controlled cannabinoid falls outside control only if it meets all three conditions. [26] [11]

  • It is not designed for administration of the controlled substance to a human or animal.
  • The controlled substance cannot readily be recovered, or not in a yield that is a risk to health.
  • No one component part contains more than 1 mg of the controlled substance.

The Home Office treats a component part as, for example, a bottle rather than a serving. [11]

Hemp (EU and US)

In the EU, hemp grown under farm payment rules must contain no more than 0.3% THC, a farming rule rather than a limit for finished products. [27] On 27 October 2026, US federal law defined hemp as cannabis with no more than 0.3% Δ9-THC on a dry-weight basis. [12]

A 2025 US law is scheduled to narrow that definition in two steps: from 12 November 2026 and from 11 December 2026, including a cap of 0.4 mg total THC per container. Congress could still change the dates. [28] [29]

Immunoassay screen

A fast antibody-based test that flags samples for confirmation. Similar-shaped molecules can sometimes cross-react. [30] [31]

Confirmatory test

A second test, usually mass spectrometry, that measures the specific molecule in a flagged sample. [30]

Cutoff

The concentration at or above which a test is reported positive. US federal workplace urine tests use 50 ng/mL for screening and 15 ng/mL for confirmation of THC-COOH. [30]

THC-COOH

A breakdown product of THC excreted in urine, and the usual target of urine tests. CBD itself is not the target. [30] See does CBD show up on a drug test?.

WADA Prohibited List

The World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances. The 2026 list bans all natural and synthetic cannabinoids in competition except cannabidiol. [32]

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between full-spectrum and broad-spectrum?

Full-spectrum extracts keep most of the plant’s compounds, usually including some THC. Broad-spectrum extracts keep other compounds but have THC removed. Outside New York, we found no legal definition of either as of 27 October 2026. [5]

What does “<LOQ” mean on a COA?

It means the amount was below the limit of quantification, the lowest level the test can measure reliably. The substance may still be present. [18]

Is CBD a novel food?

The European Commission and the UK Food Standards Agency both treat CBD in food as a novel food, which needs authorisation before sale. As of 27 October 2026, we found no CBD food authorised in either. [10] [23] [24]

What does “exempt product” mean?

It is a UK legal test for products containing small amounts of controlled cannabinoids, with three conditions that must all be met. [26]

The Bottom Line

Most CBD terms are simpler than they look, but few have a fixed legal meaning. “Full-spectrum”, “broad-spectrum” and “isolate” are mostly brands’ own descriptions, while “novel food”, “exempt product” and “hemp” are legal terms that differ by country and are changing.

On a lab report, the details matter most: which cannabinoids were tested, the limits of detection and quantification, and whether the batch number matches the pack.

Scientific and Regulatory Sources

Cannabinoids, extracts and product forms

  1. Tahir M.N., Raz F.S., Rondeau-Gagné S., Trant J.F. (2021). The biosynthesis of the cannabinoids. Journal of Cannabis Research 3:7. Full study.
  2. US Food and Drug Administration. EPIDIOLEX (cannabidiol) oral solution, prescribing information (revised May 2026), sections 1, 5, 6 and 7. Official label.
  3. Wang M., Wang Y.H., Avula B. et al. (2016). Decarboxylation study of acidic cannabinoids: a novel approach using ultra-high-performance supercritical fluid chromatography/photodiode array-mass spectrometry. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research 1(1):262–271. Full study.
  4. US Department of Agriculture. 7 CFR 990.1, Domestic hemp production program: definitions (“Total THC”). eCFR.
  5. New York State Office of Cannabis Management. 9 NYCRR Part 114, Cannabinoid Hemp: §114.1 Definitions (“broad spectrum”, “distillate”, “full spectrum”, “isolate”) and §114.9(e), as amended effective 13 December 2023. Official text (PDF) · §114.1 (LII).
  6. Christensen C., Rose M., Cornett C., Allesø M. (2023). Decoding the postulated entourage effect of medicinal cannabis: what it is and what it isn’t. Biomedicines 11(8):2323. Full study.
  7. European Commission. CosIng cosmetic ingredient database: entries Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil (55065), Cannabis Sativa Leaf Extract (97599), Cannabis Sativa Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract (95512), Cannabidiol – Synthetically Produced (93486) and Cannabidiol – Derived from Extract or Tincture or Resin of Cannabis (96287). CosIng.
  8. EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (2026). Safety of synthetic cannabidiol as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. EFSA Journal (published September 2026). doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2026.10154.
  9. EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (2026). Update of the statement on safety of cannabidiol as a novel food. EFSA Journal 24(2):9862 (published February 2026). Full text (Europe PMC) · EFSA Journal.
  10. European Commission. Novel Food Status Catalogue (entries “Cannabinoids” and “Cannabis sativa L.”). Official guidance.
  11. UK Home Office. Drug licensing factsheet: cannabis, CBD and other cannabinoids (updated 3 October 2024), paragraphs 26 to 34 (exempt product definition). Official guidance.
  12. United States Code, 7 U.S.C. §1639o (definition of hemp, as in force on 22 October 2026). GovInfo.
  13. Gidal B.E., Vandrey R., Wallin C. et al. (2024). Product labeling accuracy and contamination analysis of commercially available cannabidiol product samples. Frontiers in Pharmacology 15:1335441. Funded by Jazz Pharmaceuticals. Full study.
  14. Knaub K., Sartorius T., Dharsono T., Wacker R., Wilhelm M., Schön C. (2019). A novel self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS) based on VESIsorb formulation technology improving the oral bioavailability of cannabidiol in healthy subjects. Molecules 24(16):2967. Sponsored by Vesifact AG. Full study.
  15. Directive 2002/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 June 2002 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to food supplements, Articles 2(a), 6(3) and 8(2). EUR-Lex.
  16. EFSA Scientific Committee (2021). Guidance on risk assessment of nanomaterials to be applied in the food and feed chain: human and animal health. EFSA Journal 19(8):6768; and Guidance on technical requirements for regulated food and feed product applications to establish the presence of small particles including nanoparticles. EFSA Journal 19(8):6769. EFSA Journal 6768 · EFSA Journal 6769.
  17. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products, Article 2(1)(a) (definition of “cosmetic product”). EUR-Lex.

Lab reports and absorption

  1. International Council for Harmonisation (2023). ICH Q2(R2) Guideline on validation of analytical procedures, Step 5 (EMA/CHMP/ICH/82072/2006), glossary: “detection limit” and “quantitation limit”. EMA PDF.
  2. Millar S.A., Stone N.L., Yates A.S., O’Sullivan S.E. (2018). A systematic review on the pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol in humans. Frontiers in Pharmacology 9:1365. Full study.
  3. Johnson D.A., Funnell M.P., Heaney L.M. et al. (2024; online 2023). Cannabidiol oil ingested as sublingual drops or within gelatin capsules shows similar pharmacokinetic profiles in healthy males. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research 9(5):e1423–e1432. PubMed · doi.org/10.1089/can.2023.0117.
  4. Taylor L., Gidal B., Blakey G., Tayo B., Morrison G. (2018). A phase I, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose, multiple dose, and food effect trial of the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of highly purified cannabidiol in healthy subjects. CNS Drugs 32(11):1053–1067. PubMed · Full study (PMC).

Regulation and testing

  1. Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on novel foods, Articles 3, 6 and 10 to 12 (definition, Union list and authorisation procedure). EUR-Lex.
  2. European Commission. Union list of novel foods. Official list.
  3. UK Food Standards Agency. Cannabidiol (CBD) guidance: business guidance on CBD as a novel food (England and Wales), updated 28 August 2026. Official guidance.
  4. UK Food Standards Agency (September 2026 Board meeting). CBD novel food applications: recommendations to ministers on first authorisations. Official Board paper.
  5. The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/3998), regulation 2(1), definition of “exempt product”. legislation.gov.uk.
  6. European Commission. Hemp: rules for cultivation and EU support (Regulation (EU) 2021/2115). Official information.
  7. Public Law 119-37 (enacted 12 November 2025), Division B, section 781 (new definition of hemp). GovInfo.
  8. Public Law 119-103 (enacted 2 September 2026), section 2019 (phased effective dates). GovInfo.
  9. US Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA. Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs: authorized testing panels (urine and oral fluid). Federal Register 91 FR 12308 (13 March 2026). Federal Register.
  10. Wolf C.E., Pokhai A.A., Poklis J.L., Williams G.R. (2023). The cross-reactivity of cannabinoid analogs (delta-8-THC, delta-10-THC and CBD), their metabolites and chiral carboxy HHC metabolites in urine of six commercially available homogeneous immunoassays. Journal of Analytical Toxicology 47(8):732–736. PubMed.
  11. World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List, section S8 Cannabinoids. Official list.

Scientific and regulatory material reviewed: 27 October 2026. This glossary provides general educational information, not medical advice, legal advice or a product-specific determination of regulatory compliance.