Is hemp and cannabis the same thing
Short Answer: They are two forms of the cannabis plant that are used very differently. Hemp is different from marijuana in its function, cultivation and application. Many states are slowly legalizing recreational marijuana, but marijuana remains federally illegal. An amendment to the Farm Bill legalized hemp in the U. Today, hemp can be used in variety of ways that marijuana cannot. These include healthy dietary supplements, skin products, clothing, and accessories.
Hemp vs Marijuana: Is There a Difference?
Hemp and marijuana are both varieties of Cannabis sativa L. The law differentiates the two by their THC content: hemp contains less than 0. When the public uses the term marijuana, it is usually in reference to a cannabis plant containing enough THC to be psychoactive. Both hemp and marijuana are incredibly versatile and can be used in an array of industries, from health and wellness to construction.
Marijuana has been de facto illegal since the Marihuana Tax Act of Despite federal legislation clearly defining marijuana as a dangerous and illegal substance, the statewide movement to legalize cannabis has infiltrated all but 3 states:.
Idaho, South Dakota, and Nebraska are the only states that continue to uphold total cannabis prohibition. As long as marijuana remains federally illegal, the market and industries built around it are at risk of being shut down by the federal government.
This is an unlikely scenario, especially since legal weed has bipartisan support. The immediate effects of federal prohibition are the inability of cannabis businesses to use banks or insurance. Medical patients are unable to use their health insurance to cover the costs of cannabis-based medicine. Federal prohibition also makes it difficult for researchers to study the substance.
The CSA excludes hemp from the definition of marijuana. Cannabis sativa L. The language of the law is a bit more detailed:. Unlike marijuana, the hemp industry is federally legitimate. The Farm Bill expanded the legality of hemp, the cultivation of which had been illegal between and The Farm Bill made it possible for US farmers to cultivate hemp as a part of special pilot programs. Now, all farmers are welcome to apply for state and federal hemp growing licenses.
The legal definition of hemp provided by the law also makes it possible for hemp farmers to access protections under the Federal Crop Insurance Act. Finally, all CBD products derived from industrial hemp cultivated in accordance with the Farm Bill are legal. Federal legality means that hemp industry professionals are likely to avoid the logistical hurdles complicating the marijuana business including access to banks and insurance.
It is also much easier for researchers to study industrial hemp than marijuana. In addition to their legal differences, hemp and marijuana can also be distinguished by the ways they are consumed. The most common use of marijuana is recreation. This is enough THC to induce psychoactive effects. While these effects are enjoyable in their own right, they are also responsible for the therapeutic benefits of cannabis.
There is conclusive evidence that cannabis is an effective antiemetic for adults with chemo-therapy induced nausea and vomiting, analgesic for adults with chronic pain, and spasticity treatment for adults with MS. These substances can be consumed through the inhalation of smoke or vapor produced by heating cannabis plant matter or concentrates, ingestion of cannabis-infused food and beverages edibles , or the application of cannabis-infused ointments topicals directly to the skin.
Hemp is such a versatile and profitable crop, its cultivation was required in colonial America. Hemp can be used to make medicine, food, textiles, plastics, and fuel. In fact, hemp may even be able to save the bees. Hemp seeds are rich in vitamins, minerals, and essential fats. The seeds can be eaten on their own or pressed to make oils or other derivatives that can be infused into cosmetic or medicinal products.
Hemp bark and stem cores can be used to produce clothing, coarse fabrics, paper, plastics, and construction materials. The whole plant can also be processed into fuel, alcohol, and silage.
Hemp produces flower which, like marijuana flower, can be used to extract cannabinoids. Most commonly, hemp is used to extract CBD. Wikileaf is your best source for cannabis brands, prices, strain information, and dispensaries near you. Share Previous article. Next article. Author Dianna Benjamin Dianna Benjamin specializes in writing health-related cannabis articles for Wikileaf.
She is a freelance writer, teacher, wife, and mom, horrified and fascinated by social justice and our inability--yet constant pursuit--to get it right.
Even though hemp and marijuana are both the same species of plant, things like fabric and textiles, food, supplements, and body products. Hemp and marijuana are, taxonomically speaking, the same plant; they are different names for the same genus (Cannabis) and species.
There are still quite a few restrictions and regulations associated with growing hemp , but the fact that hemp is now legal — while marijuana is not — has raised a lot of questions. That puts us in a position to help answer some of the most common hemp questions. Hemp and marijuana are, taxonomically speaking, the same plant; they are different names for the same genus Cannabis and species. By comparison, marijuana typically contains 5 to 20 percent THC. In other words, Cannabis plants with 0.
Although hemp and marijuana are both classified biologically as cannabis, there are a number of important differences between them.
While there are few genetic differences between hemp and marijuana plants, there are drastic differences in terms of cannabis slang, legal interpretation, and use of the plants. In practical terms, the differences between hemp and marijuana are quite significant.
Is hemp the same thing as marijuana?
With interest in CBD cannabidiol rising and the Farm Bill legalizing hemp federally, there are many questioning concerning the difference between hemp and marijuana. Generally the difference between hemp and marijuana is in the concentration of THC tetrahydrocannabinol , with hemp generally considered so low in concentration so as to be non-psychoactive. Hemp is still cannabis sativa, same as some of the most popular strains of marijuana. Hemp is typically grown to maximize the overall size of the plant as quickly as possible, usually achieved by growing outdoors. A lot of marijuana, though not all, is grown indoors, so as to control many variables such as light cycles and soil nutrients.
Hemp vs Marijuana
Stick around to find out everything you need to know about this curious and versatile plant. The origins of hemp and cannabis are very clearly intertwined, as they both form part of the same plant family, Cannabis Sativa. Cannabis had been growing naturally in the wild for thousands of years before humanity began to progressively study and find out its amazing properties. All cannabis plants used to be used to the same purposes, without distinguishing between hemp and cannabis. Over the centuries, humanity began to give cannabis plants various different uses; plants began being chosen based on certain characteristics, and these two types of plants began to be used for two different purposes. One type began to be used for fiber and food , whereas the other type was soon grown in order to harvest its psychoactive flowers which were used in various different rituals as a medicinal treatment. Growing and domesticating cannabis with certain objectives in mind began at around BC , with a clear difference between medicinal and spiritual plants and plants used for fiber. Cannabis plants slowly spread around the world , starting with central and south Asia — this was most likely due to humanity, and not a natural expansion or growth which can sometimes happen in nature. This is why we can now find cannabis plants, hundreds of years later , that can be grown in European climates such as the Iberian Peninsula.
Hemp advocates, however, swear by its power. Aside from the fact hemp has benefits for skin and hair, and can be used to make paper, cement, construction materials, bio fuel, clothing, plastic composites and more, those who endorse hemp say it does have equivalent therapeutic benefits via its CBD-rich leaves and stock.
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What’s the difference between hemp and cannabis?
February 15, There's been a lot of discussion about hemp recently, since the Farm Bill made it legal for farmers to grow industrial hemp for the first time since the passage of the Controlled Substances Act or, practically speaking, since the Marihuana Tax Act. There are still quite a few restrictions and regulations associated with growing hemp, but the fact that hemp is now legal — while marijuana is not — has raised a lot of questions. That puts us in a position to help answer some of the most common hemp questions. Hemp and marijuana are, taxonomically speaking, the same plant; they are different names for the same genus Cannabis and species. By comparison, marijuana typically contains 5 to 20 percent THC. You can't get high on hemp. In other words, Cannabis plants with 0. Cannabis plants with more than 0. In North Carolina, licenses must be approved by the state's Industrial Hemp Commission, which is affiliated with the N. Licensed growers must abide by stringent regulations, including tests to ensure that the THC levels in any hemp remain at or below the limit of 0. In short, the answer is that farmers grow things for which there is a market — and there appears to be a market for industrial hemp.
Is Hemp The Same Thing As Marijuana?
Hemp and marijuana are both varieties of Cannabis sativa L. The law differentiates the two by their THC content: hemp contains less than 0. When the public uses the term marijuana, it is usually in reference to a cannabis plant containing enough THC to be psychoactive. Both hemp and marijuana are incredibly versatile and can be used in an array of industries, from health and wellness to construction. Marijuana has been de facto illegal since the Marihuana Tax Act of Despite federal legislation clearly defining marijuana as a dangerous and illegal substance, the statewide movement to legalize cannabis has infiltrated all but 3 states:. Idaho, South Dakota, and Nebraska are the only states that continue to uphold total cannabis prohibition.
