What’s the difference? Hemp vs. Marijuana

Summary

Hemp and marijuana are two varieties of the same basic plant: Cannabis sativa: they look different, grow differently, and have different uses and benefits.
Hemp, also called industrial hemp, is legal to grow in the U.S., but only a few states have operating industrial hemp growing programs that fit USDA guidelines.
Both hemp and cannabis can produce CBD products, but hemp has very low levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), less than 0.3%.
Marijuana is the term generally used to refer to cannabis that contains higher levels of THC, which produces a psychoactive effect.
Hemp, aka industrial hemp, is grown and used to produce textiles, nutritional supplements like hemp oil, biofuels, and even plastics.
Is marijuana the same as hemp? That’s a question our team hears regularly from guests and patients. The simple answer: no, it isn’t—however, hemp and marijuana both come from the same plant species, called Cannabis sativa l.
Hemp plants are a different cultivar than the marijuana plant, which means that although they’re the same species, the plants grow differently and have different properties. Cannabis is a general term referring to three types of marijuana plants that have psychoactive properties: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. You’ve probably heard the words Sativa and Indica, as well as Hybrid: crosses between the two varieties. The third type, ruderalis, isn’t as well-known or grown very often because it has low THC and isn’t suitable for industrial hemp uses. [Source]

Is hemp the same as marijuana or cannabis?

Sometimes people refer to cannabis with a high THC content as “hemp flower” but the hemp plant isn’t the same as cannabis or marijuana that contains high levels of THC. Hemp is the name for the industrial version of the Cannabis sativa plant that produces large, tall plants that are useful for fiber, food, clothing, and other goods.

Does hemp have THC?

Hemp, aka industrial hemp, does have some THC, but in such a low amount that it is unlikely to produce any euphoric effects. Hemp legally must have below 0.3% THC in order to be cultivated under USDA regulations.

What is the difference between hemp and marijuana?

The easiest way to tell the difference between hemp and marijuana is to compare the THC content. Hemp legally can’t have more than 0.3% THC content, whereas marijuana, whether it comes from Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica, has much higher percentages of THC.

Depending on the cultivars and types of plants, marijuana plants tend to also have lower levels of CBD than industrial hemp plants. Over time, studies have shown that hemp plants have higher levels of CBD than cannabis plants which have been bred for high levels of THC.

Hemp vs. cannabis

Although they’re different varieties of the same plant, hemp and cannabis have different uses, different amounts of CBD or THC, and are used differently. The plants have been grown for thousands of years around the world. Hemp has provided many types of fiber, food uses, oil, and biofuel for many years. Hemp can even be used to produce plastics. Cannabis has provided recreational use for thousands of years and is also associated with potential benefits for a variety of health conditions, which is why it has been adopted by various states in medical cannabis programs.

Hemp CBD vs. cannabis CBD

So, what’s the difference in marijuana derived CBD vs. hemp derived CBD? There actually isn’t any!

Once CBD is refined from a plant, there is no difference between CBD that comes from an industrial hemp plant and CBD that comes from a cannabis plant.

The main difference between the two sources is state and federal laws that govern how the plants are grown, or whether they’re legally grown in different states and localities. Industrial hemp tends to contain more CBD than high-CBD varieties of cannabis, which makes it a good candidate for manufacturers who are refining it for CBD to put into different products. You will find a lot of CBD products that are made from cannabis, however.

As more states institute industrial hemp growing programs, more CBD products could be made from industrial hemp as opposed to high-CBD/low-THC strains of “regular cannabis.”

Hemp plant vs. cannabis plant

Industrial hemp plants tend to grow taller than cannabis plants. Cannabis plants have been bred to spread wider and produce more flowers that contain THC. Industrial hemp plants have been bred to grow taller and have more fiber that can be processed into rope, textiles, and similar hemp products. Industrial hemp plants are also generally hardier than cannabis plants, and can also be grown close together in fields and harvested similar to grasses that are grown for fiber. Cannabis plants are grown farther apart instead of close together and can be carefully tended to produce the greatest amount of flowers.

Hemp oil vs. cannabis oil

You may hear people referring to CBD oil as hemp oil, but hemp oil is actually a nutritional and skin product that’s refined from the seeds of the cannabis plant. Cannabis seeds contain oil, but they don’t contain CBD or THC. CBD oil is made from cannabis stalks, leaves, and flowers. CBD oil can contain tiny or trace amounts of THC. Oil or tinctures made from the cannabis plant can contain either CBD or THC.