Most people still think cannabis and hemp are identical. It’s a simple mistake as most government issued articles or similar pieces of information give misleading information about the subject. The topic has been hot in recent years and covered by a multitude of organizations. However, there is a massive lack of information regarding the subject by professional and government institutions.
Even though both hemp and cannabis come from the same source, cannabis sativa, they still vary greatly. The topic of Hemp Oil Vs Cannabis Oil has been debated for years, but this article is going to clear some very serious topics for those of you wondering what the difference really is. If you’ve been wondering, then this is the right article for you to be reading right now.
So, What Exactly Is Hemp and What Is Cannabis?
Hemp and Cannabis are commonly mistaken for being the same thing. But they are in fact very different from each other. The words are used interchangeably a lot of times, but this is the completely wrong and they are similar but very different.
Hemp is an industrialized plant. It doesn’t have any of the active chemicals that get you high or alter your state of mind, physiology, etc. It is primarily used commercially for its stalks and seeds. Primarily it’s used as a food source or to create a powerful substance used in plastics and fabrics as well as for medicinal purposes and beauty products. Even materials used for construction, paper and auto parts are often derived from hemp.
Other uses Hemp is often harvested for are in the realm of textiles, animal products and even new organic bio-fuels. To be classified as hemp, the plant must contain less than .03% THC which is the powerful psychoactive drug that has mind altering effects. Having less than .03% THC makes hemp classifiable as an industrial plant that can be used for making goods.
Hemp is also a highly fibrous food source used and found in many health food stores. Canada allows a .03% percent level of THC to be classified as hemp whereas the USA dictates that hemp is completely free from of any portion of Cannabis Sativa with no psychoactive ingredients except when defined in certain exceptions.
Now, on the other side of the spectrum we have Cannabis Sativa. Which is reared in a way that produces a flowering plant that contain buds with resinous glands and are specifically cultivated for their pain alleviating effects and have medicinal value for a host of different diseases, conditions and ailments.
Cannabis Sativa is also the plant that contains high levels of THC that bring extreme mind-altering effects and are not commonly cultivated or harvested on a commercial level.
What is the History of Hemp?
It’s been around since primordial times. Various civilizations like the Chinese and the Turks cultivated the plant and used if for many reasons. There is a very strong possibility that Hemp is the oldest plant grown by man. It’s likely it has been grown, cultivated and harvested for as many as 12,000 years.
A professor at the University of Kansas, Barney Warf even went on to say that it was first grown in Asia thousands of years ago and has since found its way across the entire world. In most cases it’s used for medicinal purposes or spiritual growth. Cannabis has also been used across many cultures for pain relief. Even the Vikings and Germanic tribes used it to treat tooth pain and childbearing.
The plant is now going through major change. And being revered as one of the best ailments for treating pain associated with terminal illnesses like cancer. It’s flowering in popularity and industrial institutions across the planet are using it. It’s also starting to become legal in many states in the U.S. and has already grown in freedom of use in countries like Canada.
Some countries, particularly those in Southeast Asia and the Western Asia still see it as an even plant and carry severe penalties for anyone who is apprehended using or possessing the plant. They claim it is a gateway drug to evil and violence, and one of the largest contributing factors to a growing crime rate.
How Many People Use Cannabis and Hemp?
The question is hard to answer. It’s known for sure there is a wide range of people using cannabis and hemp. There is a gap however, that could be the result of different laws and restrictions varying on a state to state or country to country basis. Many places prohibit the use of Marijuana because it being a narcotic like substance.
At current estimations, including those who use cannabis illegally, it’s likely more than 147 million people worldwide use cannabis or hemp. Which means over 2.5% of the world’s population use the drug or its counterpart hemp.
This is a fairly high rate of people who use the substance. Especially when compared to that of those who use cocaine which is only about .2% of the world and the same can be said about opiate users. The same study that dictates these numbers also has shown cannabis is the most widely cultivated and trafficked illicit drug in the world.
A study in the United States proved that people 2.4 million people 12 or older had used marijuana for the first time within the last 12 months. Which means there are over 6,600 people day, in the United States who are using marijuana for the first time.
Hemp is facing a lot of controversial attention in many countries and is used much more than cannabis. As of now, Hemp is cultivated in nearly 30 countries worldwide so it is being used by a low more users than it had been in previous years.
How Is Hemp Used on a Regular Basis Around the World?
Both hemp and cannabis can be used for medicinal and industrial uses. Many foods people consume today use one or the other and many people have no idea. Both plants are used in the manufacturing of foods, clothes and even tools used for construction and carpentry. Besides those uses, bio-fuels are being developed out of hemp and cannabis. Even substances like ethanol and methanol are being made from both plants.
It's a good thing because substances like bio-diesel created from hemp are much cleaner when mixed with air. To make it clear however, Hemp is ideal for the industrial complex and cannabis for the medical field. Cannabis simply does not have the qualities hemp does to create a strong product like that of hemp.
On the other hand, Cannabis is ideal for being used in the medical field because it hosts a range of beneficial properties not found in the substance of hemp. It has even been known to treat migraines and other disease like caners that have been considered to be incurable.
Are Cannabis and Hemp the Same Thing?
Yes and no, they both come from the same genus Cannabis. But are not exactly the same thing. There are many different species of both and there are numerous species of both that fall into the same species cannabis sativa.
But they are similar enough to call them the same. There are too many aspects and too many differences in chemical structure to call them the same. Basically, hemp and cannabis are two different substances that come from the same lineage.
What Makes Them Different?
Even though they come from the same past, the same background and are very closely related, they are very different in their function. Hemp works very well for the functionality on a completely tangible level. Cannabis on the other hand works very well to help with mental disturbances and physical pain.
If you want to understand it on a more plant to plant level there are serious differences. They can even be seen by the naked eye. For example, hemp can grow upwards of 15 feet and cannabis is likely to exceed 5-6 feet in height. Hemp is also much taller with tree like stalks whereas cannabis is short and looks more like a bush. There are also a lot of buds on cannabis vs hemp which looks much leaner.
Hemp is also strong. The materials and substances used in Hemp are strong enough for building. They can be used for construction, carpentry and other similar industries. Cannabis is not on the same level. It cannot be used to build in construction like hemp is.
Hemp also has a harder time growing in different areas then Cannabis does. Hemp needs superior loamed soil with no acid whereas cannabis can grow in nearly any type of soil. The physical differences between the two on a chemical level is very different as well.
Hep and Cannabis have two very similar components. THC and CBD. THC is the one the help hemp grpw. And is one of the most powerful psychoactive chemicals on the planet. CBD is more used for medicinal purposes and doesn’t have psychoactive properties like THC does. It’s used throughout society and by many people who have a lot of influence in different levels of society.
Hemp only has about .03% THC content whereas THC content in cannabis is 8-27%. Cannabis also has a lot less CBD also. Hemp oil that contains more CBD is used more widely than that of Cannabis because it’s powerful medical properties.
What’s the Difference On a Legal Level?
Cannabis and Hemp are under constant scrutiny by the US DEA regulations. There are several arguments about people looking to put both of the substances down. It’s very difficult to get either of the substances legalized in many countries across the world. Most countries want nothing to do with the either Hemp or Cannabis.
They’re both scheduled in the United States because they contain THC. Even though the THC content in Hemp is less than .03%. Cannabis is still legal in many states like California, Washington and Colorado. And not just for medicinal use but for Legal uses only.
Both Hemp and Cannabis are also used and grown across the world as well in places like Australia, Denmark and Canada. There are 32 states that have put laws into place to authorize hemp research and create a safe place for people to grow hemp.
It all came from the powerful bill in 2014 that permitted the cultivation and agriculture of hemp from higher education systems. Besides the United States, there are only a few countries that support the growth of hemp. Some of these countries includes European Countries and countries like China and Canada.
It’s still hard though because of the legalization in countries surrounded around hemp. A lot of countries still consider hemp and cannabis on the same level. Regardless of the medical functions, there is still a lot of negative stigma around hemp and cannabis.
Luckily in many countries, Hemp is a major food source. It’s a plant used for food oil and fiber and THc containing plants like Cannabis are grown for a more medicinal purpose. When it comes to cannabis only a small portion of the plant is used when compared to Hemp. The resin in THC is the primary element that is used when compared to the Hemp version of the genus.
You can definitely find the chemical on cannabis all over the plant, but the sprouts, buds and flowers carry most of the chemicals. It’s the chemical that makes the plant illegal.
The hemp version on the other hand, is much tougher and makes it harder for splitting that so the plant is designed to be much more widely used for industrial used. It’s easy to distinguish between the two plants however. Cannabis is always easier to see because the shortness of the bush vs. the much taller hemp plant.
Practical Uses for Each
Cannabis and Hemp are similar but have widely different effects. Depending on the need of the user, one or the other has the desired the effect. If going for the medicinal purposes, cannabis containing THC is more widely used for pain killing purposes vs. hemp which is used primarily for industrial purposes. Hemp is good for people needing to relax without having the powerful psychoactive effect.
Cannabis on the other hand is ideal for recreational use, getting high and relieving the effects of pain. They both have a very powerful and useful effect depending on the needs of the user.
Can Hemp Be Used as a Treatment?
Some think hemp and cannabis are dangerous. But that is depending on where you are in society. There are medicinal purposes for both of the substances depending on who you talk to.
Cannabis has showed to be a potential cure for many different diseases and Hemp has countless industrial uses. Whether it’s headaches or anxiety, the substances in Hemp and Cannabis are beneficial for people suffering from these ailments.
Hemp Oil Vs Cannabis Oil Conclusion
Whether it’s hemp or cannabis, there is a lot of major differences between the two. It’s hard to tell between the two if you don’t know but the properties are different. Hemp is basically ideal for industrial purposes and cannabis for medicinal purposes.
The THC Content between the two is one of the major differences. And regardless of the difference, both have very powerful strengths that can be used to improve people’s lives.
The main aspect to focus on is that both hemp and cannabis can be used to help people from a medical standpoint and industrial standpoint.
