Does Hemp Flour Contain CBD?

Hemp is one incredible plant. It’s been grown, cultivated, and consumed for thousands of years. Its versatile structure has enabled it to emerge throughout history, being used in everything from clothing to medicine to even fuel. But it’s also a highly nutritious source of food. 

Nutritionists, vegans, and those living a health-conscious lifestyle are beginning to rediscover the vast array of foods that can be made from these unassuming little seeds. From hemp milk to oil, cheese alternatives to highly nutritious protein powder. The market’s still relatively small, yet, there’s one thing that’s been quickly gaining recognition – hemp flour.

The Superfood Flour

Hemp flour has been promoted as a superfood by many nutritionists and experts worldwide. For a start, it contains extraordinary levels of vitamins and minerals, most of which are vital for overall balanced health, and many of which our population is generally malnourished. These include iron, fiber, zinc, and magnesium, and we’re not just talking small amounts. 

For example, around 75% of US citizens are deficient in magnesium because it’s tricky to get through diet alone. But you can get your entire recommended daily amount through just three tablespoons of hemp seeds – and imagine how many are in hemp flour!

As more people look into this plant-based alternative, one question keeps popping up – “does hemp flour contain CBD?” The clear answer is yes, but there is absolutely no reason to fear, and here’s why.

Seeds Don’t Contain CBD, But Leaves Do

Hemp flour is made from hemp seeds, which come from a specific variety of the cannabis plant. Hemp seeds don’t contain any CBD at all, but the plant leaves are covered in a sticky substance. The hemp seeds sit so close to the leaves that it is impossible to keep the outer casing of the seeds free of sticky substance, and therefore free of CBD.

Now, hemp flour is essentially made by cold-pressing hemp seeds. Once the oil is extracted, the remains clump together to form what is known as a ‘hemp cake.’ The hemp cake is then sifted and milled to produce one of the most nutritional flours on the market. 

The problem with this comes with production. When hemp flour is produced in large quantities, some of the outer layers contaminated with CBD can slip through the cracks and get ground up all the same. 

So, How Much CBD Is in Hemp Flour?

The European Food Standards Authority (EFSA) conducted multiple studies on a range of hemp foods that people commonly consume – from tea to pasta to chocolate – they tested for CBD and THC levels. The results unearthed traces of CBD (and THC) in many hemp-based products – including flour. 

Through the EFSA’s extensive research, they’ve been able to produce guidelines on how much CBD you need for it to have a biological effect. Any hemp product has to adhere to these guidelines, and when investigated, it was found that the amount of CBD in these foods was so minimal that it’s not worth even thinking about. 

For example, for the tiny amount of CBD found in hemp flour, you would need to eat 5 kilos of that flour for the cannabinoids to have a minimal effect, which isn’t realistic. 

Conclusion

If you consume any products derived from hemp seeds, you’re probably ingesting CBD. But it will be such a small amount that it will be, basically, insignificant. The EFSA regulates hemp food products so that the amount of CBD allowed in hemp flour is so minimal that it can go completely unnoticed with zero biological effect.