Most people have confusions about cannabis and hemp. Both these compounds are derived from the same plant. However, you can see some significant differences in between them. Let’s deep dive and explore what those differences are.
History of cannabis and hemp
It was Carl Linnaeus, who could differentiate cannabis and hemp for the very first time. He was a botanist, taxonomist, and zoologist based in Switzerland. After a series of experiments, he could differentiate cannabis sativa back in the year 1753. His findings were published in the book titled “Species Planatarum”.

What makes cannabis different from hemp?
At a glance, most people believe that cannabis is a drug, whereas hemp is not. On the other hand, there is a belief among people that cannabis comes from the female plant whereas hemp is from the male plant. In reality, things are more complex than that.

The main factor that differentiates cannabis and hemp is the amount of THC present. When you want to differentiate cannabis from hemp, you will need to take a look at the amount of THC. For a cannabis product to be legal, the amount of THC it has should be under 0.3%. This is the main reason on why you need to take a look at the THC concentration before you spend your money on a cannabis product. If not, you will be taking in too much THC, which can create a psychoactive effect.

However, the recommended THC concentration differs from one country to another as well. In the USA, it is 0.3% THC. However, the recommended maximum THC concentration is 0.2% in the European Union. When it comes to the UK, it reduces to 0% THC, but there are exceptions. If the growers have a license to grow, they will be able to produce with a maximum limitation of 0.3% THC.

Apart from THC concentration, you can take a look at numerous other factors, which can create an impact on the differences between cannabis and THC as well. For example, the appearance and cultivation methods are different. You may also be able to differentiate hemp and marijuana depending on the implied use. People mainly use hemp for industrial needs, whereas cannabis is used for both recreational and medicinal purposes.

What exactly is hemp and CBD?
Hemp is a strain derived out of the cannabis sativa plant. This strain is used mainly for industrial applications. When you take a look at the composition of hemp, you will notice that it has a high CBD concentration and a low THC concentration. CBD stands for cannabidiol. It is the second most prevalent of the active ingredients of cannabis (marijuana). While CBD is an essential component of medical marijuana, it is derived directly from the hemp plant, which is a cousin of the marijuana plant. While CBD is a component of marijuana (one of hundreds), by itself it does not cause a "high." According to a report from the World Health Organization, "In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential. To date, there is no evidence of public health related problems associated with the use of pure CBD."

THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis. It can make you feel high. Along with THC, you can find CBD in the cannabis sativa plants as well. CBD is capable of neutralizing the psychoactive and intoxicating effects given by THC. On top of that, CBD has been touted for a wide variety of health issues. But the strongest scientific evidence is for its effectiveness in treating some of the more severe childhood epilepsy syndromes, such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), which typically don’t respond to antiseizure medications. In numerous studies, CBD was able to reduce the number of seizures, and, in some cases, it was able to stop them altogether. Videos of the effects of CBD on these children and their seizures are readily available on the Internet for viewing, and they are quite striking. Recently the FDA approved the first ever cannabis-derived medicine for these conditions, Epidiolex, which contains CBD.

Hemp strains contain a lot of CBD and very little amounts of THC. Due to the same reason, hemp cannot deliver any psychoactive effects to you upon consumption. You can also find numerous other industrial applications behind hemp. Production of textiles and clothing hold a prominent place out of them. Likewise, we can also see how hemp is helpful at the time of manufacturing multiple cosmetic products.

You can seek the assistance of hemp for pest control as well. In fact, people have been using hemp for controlling the growth of invasive plants and weeds. That’s because hemp offers a dense growth. When you use hemp, you will be able to effectively “crowd out” the weeds, which you can find in soil. This will eventually help you kill weeds, without the usage of any pesticides.

Do you find buds in hemp?
Hemp comes with buds. In fact, the hemp buds are present at the tip of the hemp plants. They are formulated in dense clusters. Colas is the name given for such dense clusters.

Around coals, you can discover trichomes. The trichomes are responsible for manufacturing terpenes and cannabinoids. They can deliver multiple therapeutic benefits for the consumers. If you take a look at the cannabis buds and hemp buds with your naked eyes, you will not be able to see any difference. Even the taste and smell of them are pretty much the same. However, there are some prominent differences in between them. For example, cannabis buds can make you high, whereas hemp buds cannot make you feel high.

Is it possible to smoke hemp?
Yes, it is possible for you to smoke hemp. When you are smoking hemp, you need to make sure that it doesn’t offer a high THC concentration, which can deliver intoxicating effects. However, it is still possible to find numerous cannabinoids within hemp, which can deliver an enjoyable and efficient experience to you at the end of the day.
When you are smoking hemp, you can expect to receive numerous health benefits as well. While you are inhaling hemp, the CBD present within it would absorb faster than what you can get with the tinctures or edible products. Hence, it is the fastest method available for you to experience the effects of CBD. When CBD is going through the digestive tract, there is a possibility for it to lose its potency.

What are the benefits of hemp?
We can see how hemp is being used for multiple industrial applications. The unique qualities of hemp are the main reason people use it. Let’s take a look at some of the unique qualities that are present in hemp.
⦁ Hemp is highly resistant to diseases
⦁ Hemp offers a higher stem quality
⦁ Hemp produces a higher volume of seeds per acre
⦁ Hemp is highly resistant to pests
⦁ The time taken to cultivate hemp is relatively low.
It is important to keep in mind that you can get CBD (cannabidiol) from both hemp and marijuana. However, hemp has the ability to deliver a higher concentration of CBD. Due to the same reason, you can think of hemp as the CBD dominant strain as well.

When you take a look at CBD oil derived out of cannabis, you will notice that there is a high THC concentration due to the plant. This is why CBD oil made out of cannabis is not so prominent. Instead, you will find that hemp derived CBD oil is low in THC and shows higher potential at treating health problems such as depression, anxiety, acne, and numerous other issues that are still being studied.

Due to the psychoactive effects, cannabis is not legalized in numerous countries. However, some countries have allowed people the opportunity to experience health benefits derived from hemp made CBD. You will have to research the laws of your country and see whether you can purchase hemp derived CBD without any issues.

During the recent past, hemp started gaining attention as a great source of biofuel. That’s mainly because hemp plants are capable of producing alcohol fuel or ethanol. As of now, most biofuel you find is obtained from alternative sources, including dead plant matter and cereal grains.

Researchers at the University of Connecticut found the seeds from cannabis sativa, or industrial hemp, can be used to create a viable, sustainable diesel fuel. One researcher stated that most hemp farmers today probably produce enough hemp to create enough fuel to power their entire farm.
As of now, the research team has identified that hemp seeds offer some outstanding qualities, which you can use to produce biodiesel without a problem. It has a very high conversion efficiency, which is up to 97%. In the future, we may be able to see hemp powered cars driving around on the roads.

Deriving CBD oil from hemp buds
As mentioned earlier, hemp offers only a small amount of THC to your body. Due to the same reason, hemp buds are an excellent source that can be used for the production of CBD oil. Most CBD oil products you find on the market are made out of hemp plants. When you take a look at those products, you will notice how they are maintaining a THC percentage under 0.3%.

You will still be able to see CBD oil products that are made out of cannabis as well. They are being used for special purposes. For example, some CBD oil products are available with a higher THC concentration, which people use for medicinal purposes.

No matter what, CBD oil obtained from hemp buds is known for delivering most health benefits to people. If you are keen to consume CBD oil for ensuring your good health and wellbeing, you will need to take a look at them. If you want to experience the most health benefits, you should be consuming more hemp-based CBD oil, instead of cannabis-based CBD oil.

Benefits delivered to the body
Hemp is an excellent source of fiber, minerals, vitamins, and protein for the body. On top of that, hemp delivers omega 3 fatty acids as well as omega 6 fatty acids as well. If you want to experience the most nutritional value, you should be consuming hemp in its raw form, hemp milk, hemp flour, or hemp oil. Here are some health benefits that hemp can deliver.
⦁ Hemp seeds are a perfect source of gamma-linolenic acid and arginine, which can reduce your possibility of getting heart health problems.
⦁ You can overcome digestive health problems with the help of hemp seeds. That’s because hemp seeds are rich with fiber.
⦁ Hemp oil and hemp seeds can help you to overcome numerous skin health problems, such as eczema and dry skin.
⦁ Hemp can also help you to ensure proper hormonal balance within the body. It can help people to overcome issues such as depression, breast pain, and the side effects of menopause.
⦁ You can consider hemp seeds as a superfood. In other words, it is possible to consume only hemp seeds and ensure your survival.

What is cannabis?
Cannabis is also known by many other names, such as pot, grass, weed, and Mary Jane. It is obtained from the cannabis sativa plant. The family of cannabis is made out of three species, which include cannabis ruderalis, cannabis indica, and cannabis sativa.

One of the key ingredients that you can find in beer is hops. Even hops belong to the Cannabaceae family. Hence, you can call beer and cannabis cousins.
People mainly grow cannabis for recreational purposes. Products made out of these cannabis plants can make people feel high. You will be able to find those products in numerous forms, which include pipes, rolled up, and vaporizers.
You can also discover cannabis made products available as edibles such as brownies and cookies. You can use cannabis to brew tea as well. On top of that, it is possible to find cannabis-based medications for ailments, which can help people manage health problems such as seizures, depression, diabetes, arthritis, and chronic pain. The effectiveness of all these products is proven, this is why, the demand for them is increasing over time.

Most cannabis cultivators out there prefer to get their hands on female cannabis plants. That’s because female cannabis plants are responsible for producing flowers, which are also known as the tasty buds. The primary compound that is present within cannabis for delivering psychoactive effects is THC.

In some of the cannabis strains, it is possible to find up to 30% THC. Due to the same reason, such cannabis products are quite effective. While female cannabis plants are making buds, the male plants are responsible for producing pollen. Pollen is used for breeding new genetics; however, there is a possibility for the female plants to pollinate other female plants as well. This is not the most effective way of pollinating cannabis, as the quality of cannabis will reduce.
Some cannabis buds don’t come along with any seeds. Sinsemilla is the name given for such cannabis buds. In fact, Sinsemilla is the highest quality of cannabis that you can find out there. The word “sin” is a Spanish one, which refers to “without”.

Why don’t people use the term marijuana?
Marijuana is a popular slang that people use to call the cannabis sativa plant. However, we don’t see that slang being used as of now at all. That’s mainly because of the racist past associated with the term.

Back in the 1900s, people in Mexico came and settled down in the United States, in order to keep themselves protected from the Mexican Revolution. During this time period, the word “marijuana” was not being used. People had been calling the plant by the name cannabis. However, the word “marijuana” became popular during the 1910s and 1920s. This word was being used to call the frequent cannabis users from Mexico.

Government of the United States went ahead and used this term along with their anti-cannabis propaganda. That’s where numerus myths about the plant were spread to the public. In fact, people were forced to believe that this plant is not a natural medicine, but a dangerous addictive drug. Due to the same reason, most people started to stay away from the cannabis plant. This is the main reason on why the term marijuana is not used as much anymore.

What are the main uses of cannabis?
⦁ Cannabis is a popular recreational drug. It has the ability to deliver a relaxing feeling to your mind as well as body by soothing the nerves.

⦁ Most people tend to believe marijuana is a spiritual and a sacred plant. That’s because of the mind-altering capabilities of the plant.

⦁ Cannabis plants have been shown to help people overcome numerous critical health problems, such as anorexia, diabetes, certain symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.

Exploring the differences between cannabis and hemp
Now you have a good understanding on what cannabis and hemp are all about. While keeping those in mind, let’s take a deep dive and explore what the differences are.

⦁ THC content
Cannabis strains can deliver more THC content when compared to hemp. When you are buying CBD products in Canada, you will need to make sure that the THC concentration is less than 0.3%. This is where you will notice that most products available for purchase are made out of hemp. That’s because cannabis produces CBD products that offer 5% to 30% THC.

⦁ Gender
Male plants will not produce the cannabis buds. Due to the lack of intoxicating effects present in the main plants, you can use them as selective breeds. However, the cannabis cultivators out there prefer to stay away from male plants and ensure maximum production without a problem.

⦁ Looks
You will not be able to see prominent differences. However, there are some slight variations in between them. For example, the hemp plants will have skinnier leaves. They will also have lateral branches. The cannabis plants are bushier, shorter, and contain fatter leaves.

⦁ Cultivation method
People usually grow hemp plants outdoors. That’s because the hemp plants don’t usually require a lot of care and maintenance. They come along with a growth cycle in between 108 and 120 days. However, the cannabis plants should be properly taken care of. This is why you should pay special attention to lighting, temperature, and humidity. If you don’t control these factors, they will end up with giving problems, such as subjection of mold and diseases. The cannabis plants also has a short growth cycle.

⦁ Legality
Back in the day, hemp and cannabis were both considered illegal substances. However, laws changed in 2018, and now hemp products that contain under 0.3% THC are considered to be legal. However, it is important to note that hemp is still illegal in numerous countries around the world. In general, cannabis is the most accepted plant out of these.

⦁ Usage
People use marijuana as a recreational drug. However, it can deliver multiple health benefits to people as well. For example, marijuana helps people who go through chemotherapy sessions to overcome nausea and chronic pain. On the other hand, hemp is quite popular for industrial applications. Along with the help of hemp, skin products, plastics, cooking oil, varnishes, paint, and paper are being used. You can also expect to receive excellent pain-relieving capabilities.

Final words
Now you are aware of the factors that differentiate cannabis and hemp products. Both hemp and cannabis are broad classifications of the cannabis plants. They are accepted within the contemporary culture as well. While keeping these differences in mind, you can go ahead and decide what benefits are more in alignment with your current needs.