Short answer
Hemp seed oil and CBD oil are different products. Hemp seed oil is cold-pressed from the seed and contains negligible cannabinoids — a food and cosmetic oil valued for its omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. CBD oil is extracted from flower and leaf specifically for cannabinoid content, and falls under cannabis licensing law.
Key points
- Hemp seed oil is cold-pressed from the seed and contains no meaningful THC or CBD — it is a food and cosmetic oil.
- CBD oil is extracted from the flower and leaf, and contains cannabinoids — it falls under cannabis licensing law.
- Hemp seed oil is valued for its omega-3 and omega-6 fatty-acid profile; CBD oil's value is its cannabinoid content.
- In Nepal, hemp seed oil and CBD oil sit on different points of the same licensing pathway, not different plants.
Different part of the plant
Hemp seed oil is cold-pressed from the plant's seed — the same part of the plant Himalayan kitchens have roasted and ground into bhango for generations. Seeds contain negligible cannabinoids, whether THC or CBD, because cannabinoids form in the plant's resin glands, concentrated in the flower and surrounding leaf — not the seed.
CBD oil, by contrast, is extracted from flower and leaf material specifically to capture those cannabinoids. It is a plant extract, not a pressed food oil, and its entire value proposition is the cannabinoid content hemp seed oil simply doesn't have.
Different composition, different use
Hemp seed oil's profile is dominated by polyunsaturated fatty acids — omega-3 and omega-6 in a favourable ratio — which is why it is used as a food oil, a culinary finishing oil, and a cosmetic carrier oil. It will not produce any cannabinoid-related effect, because it essentially doesn't contain any.
CBD oil is valued specifically for cannabidiol, sometimes alongside minor cannabinoids, formulated into tinctures, topicals, and wellness products. The two oils can look similar in a bottle and are routinely confused in casual conversation and in search — but they are made for, and formulated for, entirely different purposes.
Different legal footing in Nepal
Hemp seed, pressed for oil, is a food product — the same plant part Nepali kitchens have used without controversy for generations. CBD, extracted from flower, sits inside Nepal's cannabis licensing framework: production and sale become lawful only through the medical and industrial pathway, with certified laboratory testing, once the relevant licences are in place.
Practically, this means the two products move on different timelines. See our hemp seed oil and CBD oil pages for the current status of each.
Common questions
- Is hemp oil the same as CBD oil?
- No — 'hemp oil' usually refers to hemp seed oil, a food and cosmetic oil pressed from the seed with no meaningful cannabinoid content. CBD oil is a cannabinoid extract from the flower and leaf. That ambiguity in the phrase 'hemp oil' is exactly why we always specify which one we mean.
- Does hemp seed oil get you high?
- No. Hemp seed oil contains negligible THC or CBD, because cannabinoids form in the flower's resin glands, not the seed. It has no intoxicating or cannabinoid effect.
- Which one should I use for skincare formulation?
- Hemp seed oil is a widely used cosmetic carrier oil (INCI name: Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil), valued for its fatty-acid profile. CBD oil is chosen specifically for cannabinoid-related formulations. Tell us your application and we can advise which fits.