CBD, Hemp, THC and Marijuana: What it Means and What It Does.
Unraveling the Terminology.
No one has been more confused that I have.
I was using a CBD (Cannabidiol) Oil and then, on the recommendation of a friend who loved her Hemp Oil, I switched. And now I love it, too!
The Hemp Oil worked as well as the other CBD I was using. Not only that, it costs less and is absorbed faster.
The biggest benefit for me has been the relief of my IBS, aka, irritable bowel syndrome. Please note, other people may have a different experience, I can only make this claim for myself. It also has a different texture than the original CBD.
I knew, by law, the legal limit of THC content is no more than 0.3 percent by volume, hemp oil was from the hemp plant, but I thought that the CBD oil was CBD from the marijuana plant minus the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the stuff that gets you high, and was therefore legal.
But that’s not the case.
The CBD from the marijuana is not sold OTC like hemp. They don’t remove all but 0.3 percent of the THC and sell it as a different product.
Thus, the CBD Oil that is legal, is from hemp. It is hemp oil. It doesn’t matter what you call it. CBD and hemp oil are interchangeable terms.
Federal law states that cannabis is considered hemp, not marijuana, as long as no part exceeds the 0.3 percent limit. Any plant over that is marijuana. Marijuana is just marijuana and is sold as medical marijuana with a doctor’s prescription.
Whew! I can check that off my list.
Marijuana is cultivated from the flower of the plant for its high levels of THC. And no, I was not confused about marijuana. But marijuana is not hemp.
Here are the differences.
Marijuana is naturally lower in CBD oil and higher in THC, where hemp has a naturally higher CBD (cannabinol) oil content and little or no THC. Also of interest, the potency of the CBD extracted from the hemp plant, and the CBD oil extracted from marijuana plant, is negligible.
As Franjo Grotenhermen from the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicine stated, “CBD is CBD, just like water is water.” Once it is extracted, the molecular structure is pretty much the same.
Lastly, from a production stand point, you’d need a lot more marijuana plants to get the oil, so it makes more sense to cultivate it from hemp.
You buy marijuana, with lots of THC, legally or illegally depending on where you live, to get high. You buy hemp/CBD oil as a dietary supplement.
But are they both from cannabis?
Yes.
Both hemp and marijuana are from the cannabis sativa L or the cannabis plant. Marijuana is one type of sativa L plant and hemp is another. It is weed and it is hemp. It’s like saying oranges and lemons are citrus fruits. They are, but they have two distinctly different properties.
Okay, got that straight. I think.
Marijuana is cultivated from the flower for its high level of THC. Hemp, a closely related relative, is derived from the Hemp plant, but has a low-resin content.
What’s the significance of the resin?
Resin contains the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the compound known to get you high or give you a buzz. Oil pressed from hemp is rich in CBD and contains only traces of THC. Industrial hemp contains no more than 0.3 percent, if that much,THC by dry weight and this is too small an amount to have an intoxicating effect.
The Agricultural Act of 2014, aka the Farm Bill, distinguishes hemp from marijuana. In the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp was removed as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, thus making it legal in all 50 states.
Another point of interest. Our bodies actually make their own cannabinoids.
Cannabinoids are chemical compounds that act directly and indirectly on cannabinoid receptors in our endocannabinoid system. That’s right. Our bodies produce their own cannabinoids to help it maintain stability and health. In short, it regulates physiology and mood.
Does this mean that CBD/hemp produces health benefits because our bodies are not producing enough of it? It seems likely, but a lot of the science is still out on that.
For now, I’m happy to know I can legally buy and use CBD/hemp oil, stop using pills for pain, and not seek any types of treatment for my IBS.
And last but not least, the hemp plant grows faster and does not require poisonous chemicals to grow. Medical marijuana takes a full season and uses pesticides and fertilizers. Hemp farmers can plant multiple crops and create a more environmentally sustainable product.
To summarize:
CBD and hemp: CBD is found in the hemp and marijuana. The legal stuff is from hemp and contains no or only traces of THC. It is a dietary supplement with many benefits. You don’t need a prescription.
THC and Marijuana: THC is the chemical found in marijuana. Marijuana makes you high. Medical marijuana also has health benefits, but you need a prescription.
There. I believe I’ve covered all the bases. If there’s anything else you want to know, just use google.
Thanks for reading.
