Both hemp and marijuana belong to the same species, Cannabis sativa, and the two plants look somewhat similar. However, substantial variation can exist within a species. Both hemp plants and marijuana plants are of the same species. Both hemp and marijuana are, in fact, taxonomically the same plant.
This means that they are different names for the same genus, which would be Cannabis. But while marijuana comes from both the cannabis indica and cannabis sativa plants, hemp belongs only to the cannabis sativa family. Both hemp and marijuana are technically the same Cannabis sativa plant. If you've ever bought marijuana, you'll have noticed that each type has its own name: Deathstar, OG Kush, Lemon Haze, to name a few.
The best example to compare how strains of the same species can be radically different is that of the varieties of hemp and cannabis, which was one of the first targets of the “War on Drugs” in the 1970s, and gave rise to a misconception about hemp, including both hemp and marijuana in the same conversation. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the chemical responsible for the intoxicating effects of marijuana, also known as euphoria. In the U.S. In the US, “industrial hemp” contains 0.3% or less THC in dry weight, while in Australia the minimum standard is 0.35% or less THC.
Hemp is simply a cannabis plant that has a low THC content and is used to create multiple resources and has many industrial uses. One of the most common uses is hemp seed oil, which is full of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and other vitamins and minerals. The greater determination of whether the plant is hemp or marijuana depends on the spectra and concentrations of the psychoactive compound, THC. For example, products made from hemp, including medicines, wellness products, clothing and body care, can be purchased almost anywhere in stores and online.
Now that we've verified that you won't get high with hemp, let's focus on the properties of hemp that give way to CBD. Although cannabis, also known as marijuana, and hemp come from the same plant species, the difference is in the cannabinoid profile. The term “hemp” is used to refer to cannabis containing 0.3 percent or less of THC in dry weight. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid that has become increasingly popular since hemp was legalized at the federal level.
In the book, author Ernest Small addresses the fact that it is difficult to distinguish hemp from cannabis because there is no real taxonomic difference between the two. Because hemp grows faster than trees and other crops, it is considered to be a more sustainable way to make products such as paper and textiles. However, CBD products are only federally legal if they are derived from hemp and contain less than 0.3 percent THC.
