Until recently, neither hemp nor marijuana were associated with health. In fact, the opposite was quite true. All that was known of these plants was that they were drugs that led to the steady deterioration of health. Even less known was the difference between these two plants.
Fast forward to a few years later, and there is currently a lot of information on the subject of the medical uses of marijuana. What sparked the sudden interest in the possible health benefits that this once health-wise disregarded plant held?
To better understand the sudden rise to glory of this plant and details such as hemp CBD oil vs marijuana CBD oil, it is imperative to tell the story of a girl called Charlotte.
Charlotte’s Story
At five years old, Charlotte Figi had suffered untold misery at the hands of Dravet’s syndrome. She would suffer seizure after seizure, and all her parents could do was sit and watch their little daughter twitch and turn in indescribable agony day after day. They had visited hospital after hospital, consulted specialist after specialist, but their efforts didn’t seem to bear any fruits.
Charlotte’s father was relentless in trying to find a cure for her daughter. One day, he stumbled upon a video on the internet that edified the therapeutic effects of a certain cannabis flower from which could be extracted a lot of CBD oil and little THC.
He then did what any parent with a sick child would do. He sought to find out if the flower was as effective as the video made it out to be. CBD or Cannabidiol is one of the many cannabinoids found in the hemp plant.
Together with Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, they are the two cannabinoids that exist in the hemp plant in high concentrations. However, their high concentration in most hemp plants is just about as similar as these compounds are. They have very different effects on the human body.
THC is the psychoactive cannabinoid that is responsible for the high that is associated with marijuana. CBD on the other hand is non-psychoactive, but has plenty of therapeutic uses. It is known for its muscle relaxing properties, as well as treating seizures. For medical purposes, it only makes sense to look for a plant that has high CBD concentration and low THC concentration.
When Charlotte’s parents tried the R4 flower, they were amazed at its effectiveness in treating Dravet’s syndrome. The number of seizures that their daughter experienced took a nose dive from a solid 300 seizures to only one seizure a week. Naturally, they raised awareness on the effectiveness of this strain in treating Dravet’s syndrome and other such diseases.
They even went a step further and engaged the help of the Stanley brothers, who were owners of an established dispensary in Colorado and who were also cultivating a strain of high CBD that was not doing very well in the market. Together, they developed a strain that they dubbed Charlotte’s web. It was only a matter of time before the strain became highly sought after, but it wasn’t in as much supply as the crowds hoped.
How to Fill the Vacuum
As the demand for more CBD oil rose, many businesses started extracting this oil from marijuana. It was not an easy task, especially considering that growing and selling marijuana in many parts of the United States was governed by very strict laws. Of course, there were also fakes that thrived and still thrive on the ignorance of many buyers. Read on in order to avoid falling prey to such rip offs.
How to Distinguish Hemp CBD Oil From Marijuana CBD Oil
One of the major differences between the hemp plant and marijuana is the difference in concentration of CBD and THC cannabinoids. Generally, the hemp plant contains more CBD than THC, while marijuana contains more THC than CBD.
That is why the hemp plant is considered to be a medical plant while marijuana is often grown for recreational purposes. Hemp CBD oil is extracted from both Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis Indica.
In some parts of the country, Cannabis sativa is usually grown for purely medical and industrial reasons, because of its high CBD and low THC content. Production of this industrial hemp is legal at the federal level, although the laws governing its production vary from state to state.
Beware of the Fakes
Because there is no standardized procedure for extracting CBD oil from the hemp plant, many counterfeit products that claim to contain high concentrations of CBD exist. To make it worse, the FDA treats Hemp CBD oil as a dietary supplement.
As a general rule, the FDA does not evaluate such products for effectiveness before they get to the market. This is all that unscrupulous businesspeople need in order to sell their fakes to the unsuspecting public.
This explains why later on, the FDA has labeled some products as total shams. Some do not contain any CBD content whatsoever. In order to avoid falling prey to such fakes, visit the FDA website and you will find a detailed analysis of the products that claim to contain CBD.
The Stanley brothers, however, continue to produce hemp oil under the brand name CW Hemp. This product is approved all over the US and can even be delivered to your home when you place an order.
Medical Marijuana
The CW Hemp is not the only CBD strain worth your attention. There are other strains extracted from marijuana that merit your attention as well. These include Harlequin, Ringo’s Gift, AC/DC, Sour Tsunami and Cannatonic.
Growing Medical marijuana in some western states of the U.S. was legalized in 1996. Such states include Oregon, Washington, and California. Colorado just legalized the growth of medical marijuana. Growers in these states produce both high CBD and high THC strains for both recreational and medical purposes.
The production of marijuana in these states is governed by very strict laws, and stricter standards are being developed by the day. Those who are allowed to purchase this marijuana therefore buy very high quality and very pure products. The law actually requires that sales representatives selling CBD products answer any questions that buyers might have about the ingredients and test results of the product in question.
The Synergy Anomaly
Cannabis contains about 80 cannabinoids, although THC and CBD are the most concentrated ones. Studies reveal that the effectiveness of any of these cannabinoids is enhanced by the presence of the other cannabinoids. This means that for CBD to be more effective, THC must be present. It is for this reason that CBD products not meant to be taken by children often contain varying quantities of THC.
Hemp CBD Oil vs Marijuana CBD Oil Conclusion
After reading this hemp CBD oil vs marijuana CBDoil article, you should be able to make an informed decision as you purchase any CBD products. Genuine CBD products can have a high-impact effect on your health, so be sure to choose just the original products and do your research before you decide.
