Answer to a commonly-asked question about marijuana and hemp: what’s the difference? The short answer: both plants belong to the Cannabis sativa L (hemp) plant species but have distinct uses and properties. Hemp can be used for textile production, nutritional supplements like hemp oil production, biofuels and plastic production while marijuana is grown specifically for its psychotropic effects and used either recreationally or medically.
Legally cultivating hemp requires that its plants contain less than 0.3 percent THC – this low concentration marks one of the key distinctions between it and marijuana, where THC induces psychotropic effects; by comparison, hemp plants have been selectively bred to have much less. Hemp plants are dioecious; male flowers can pollinate female ones, so growers must harvest only female flowers so that pollination doesn’t occur, as male plants contain high concentrations of THC that would compromise the crop.
Marijuana on the other hand contains more than 0.3 percent THC and has been selectively bred to produce higher concentrations of this psychoactive compound. Marijuana used for psychotropic effects can be consumed either as dried flower, oils, edibles or any number of products made with cannabis; both recreational and medical uses can use marijuana, though medical-grade strains of marijuana with higher CBD concentration are available as an anti-inflammatory solution.
The 2018 Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp farming in the US, though individual states will need to set regulations and programs. Consumers should look for products that specify whether they come from hemp or marijuana – products made from hemp will contain only CBD cannabinoid which has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and won’t contain THC at all. Furthermore, look out for “full spectrum” or “broad spectrum” products as these contain all cannabinoids found within plants and therefore may have synergistic benefits over isolated CBD products alone.
Hemp has gained popularity due to its many health benefits and lack of THC content, particularly as more and more studies prove its anti-inflammatory and mood boosting abilities. Many users also report it helps with pain management. But remember, THC content remains important! Tennessee Bureau of Investigation uses a three-step test method for detecting THC in plant material submissions: first performing microscopic analysis followed by color test estimation for THC/CBD ratio estimation; if these come back positive then TBI reports the submission as marijuana; otherwise hemp.