The words “Hemp” and “Marijuana” are actually not technical biological classifications of plant species, but they do have a meaning when we say them, and are viewed and treated very different from a legal perspective as well.
Let’s start with the basics. The word “Cannabis” refers to a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The main three species within this category are Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica, and Cannabis Ruderals. Whether you are talking about hemp or cannabis, genetically speaking, you are really talking about the same plant.
So what is the difference then?
“hemp” vs “Cannabis/marijuana” are terms that we have adopted as a society to describe the difference based around one main characteristic – the presence and amount of a specific cannabinoid, THC.
Cannabinoid Definition: A cannabinoid is a chemical compound found in cannabis. There are at least 100 different cannabinoids that are found in varieties of the cannabis plant. The most prominent and notable are THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (Cannabidiol). We have receptors in our bodies that interact with cannabinoids.
THC is one of the compounds that causes a psychoactive effect and gets you “high”, while CBD is non-psychoactive. The main difference is that “hemp” is a cannabis plant that is grown to have less than 0.3% THC by dry weight basis. Cannabis can also contain CBD and other cannabinoids as well, but it’s the THC level that legally decides if it is “hemp” or “cannabis”.
Are there any other differences?
While both hemp and marijuana can be utilized for their cannabinoids (THC, CBD, etc) and their therapeutic effects on the mind and body, hemp is also cultivated and used for a wider variety of applications – including clothing, building materials, paper, cooking oils, hemp seed, and even hemp plastic. When hemp is grown for its industrial uses, the growing environment will focus more on the plant fiber, and the increasing the total yield, and will not focus on maximizing CBD content or on producing full flower buds.
When it comes to growing THC cannabis/marijuana, the main purpose is to produce smokable flower, where the focus is on the quality of the buds, with tender care being taken to produce the highest quality plant, and cultivating strains for catered effects and characteristics.
Although hemp can be cultivated for a larger variety of uses, it can also be grown for its premium smokable buds. When this is the case, you will notice that physically you cannot see much of a difference between premium hemp buds meant for smoking and THC flower that you think of as “pot”. That’s because it is really the same plant, just grown differently to not have any THC.
In Summary:
- When we talk about Hemp or Cannabis/Marijuana, we are actually speaking about the same plant.
- Hemp is cannabis that contains less than 0.3% THC by dry weight basis.
- “Hemp” and “Marijuana” are not official taxonomy categorizations, but rather our societies language used to distinguish cannabis that has psychoactive effects form cannabis that does not have psychoactive effects.
- Varieties of the cannabis plant can be bred and cultivated to have varying levels of THC, CBD or other cannabinoids, as well as other characteristics like smell and bud structure.
- Hemp has many additional uses in addition to medicinal depending on how the plant is grown and what characteristics are desired.