What’s the difference between HEMP & MARIJUANA?
Let’s clear up some lingering confusion…
This is important because they are VERY different.
Although they are related and come from the same plant genus (like cousins), the cultivation, chemical makeup, and application of these two plants are very different.
The plants look similar when it comes to the roots, shoots, and leaves, but they are grown and cultivated very differently. Hemp can grow in just about any climate and condition. Its adaptability means it needs minimal care, has been shown to suppress weeds and regenerate the soil. All highly sustainable characteristics! Meanwhile, marijuana is highly sensitive to its environment and requires more stringent growing conditions, such as pH, soil nutrients, light, and water.
Both have been shown in studies to have a variety of therapeutic benefits because plants contain cannabinoids. However, marijuana’s chemical composition is dominated by THC (the psychoactive cannabinoid). This is what produces a head high in users. Hemp is rich in other cannabinoids (such as CBD) that don’t stimulate a high but still pack on the health benefits for our bodies. The reason for this distinction comes down to the DNA of these two plants. Hemp simply does not have the same THC-producing genes like marijuana does. In order to qualify under the federal definition of industrial hemp, it must contain less than 0.3% by weight of THC. In contrast, marijuana’s THC content can range from between 5-35% THC.
Scientific studies have demonstrated that both plants have therapeutic benefits. Along with its widespread recreational usage, Marijuana has been shown to aid ailments like glaucoma, epileptic seizures, MS pain, eating disorders, and more. Hemp offers many of those same health benefits, but also delivers countless industrial applications. It’s a regenerative cover crop which prevents soil erosion and supports organic crop rotation, a renewable fuel source, and is used in the fabrication of clothing, paper, plastic, and building materials. Its seeds are even a protein rich food source!
We’re so thankful for both of these plants and the good they’re doing in this world. Hopefully this has shed some light on why we’re BEYOND fanatical about hemp. Thankfully the agriculture industry is catching on to hemp’s boundless benefits since it was included in the recently passed 2018 Farm Bill.
This hefty 807 page bill is jam packed with all things agriculture; covering a wide array of topics from dairy pricing to wetland conservation. But what we’re beyond STOKED about are the few inclusions on HEMP!!
The Hemp prohibition era has finally ended. Hemp is now recognized as an agricultural commodity. It’s no longer mistaken as a controlled substance, officially and permanently removed from the Controlled
Substances Act (CSA).
Not only were the application of Hemp in agriculture addressed, but also Hemp derived cannabidiol (CBDs) that we’re so passionate about for facilitating a healthy Endocannabinoid system! Hemp extracts, cannabinoids and derivatives were explicitly removed from the Controlled Substance Act by Congress.
Passed in the House and Senate, awaiting the president’s signature (which was hinted to happen at any time), this bill is a major step in getting the word out there for this absolute powerhouse of a plant. We can (and will) rave about its countless benefits for not only our bodies but also Mother Nature’s.
