The Difference Between Hemp and Marijuana

The difference between hemp and marijuana is a subject that is often poorly explained.

With the continued growth of CBD demand, the CBD industry has evolved into a unique free market. However, it remains closely related to the cannabis industry, which has led to reputational controversies and regulatory changes.

With the confusion and complexity that CBD causes for users, it becomes even more important to know the difference between hemp and marijuana. How are they related?

What is the difference between hemp and marijuana?

Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae, including 3 species: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, Cannabis ruderalis .

While hemp and marijuana are often thought of as referring to a 'species' or 'variety' of the Cannabis plant, they are technically not.

Hemp and cannabis are simply a recognized classification by the community, but not a classification by taxonomic criteria for cannabis.

To differentiate between hemp and marijuana and clear the fog of information, let's explore what exactly these terms mean.

Distinguish between hemp/flax leaves and cannabis leaves.

What is hemp?

'Hemp' is the term used to classify Cannabis varieties that contain less than or equal to 0.3% THC (on a dry weight basis).

While the above legal concept was legalized in the 2018 US Farm Bill, 'hemp' is commonly used to describe the non-psychoactive Cannabis variety harvested for the hemp extract industry.

With documented evidence of its use throughout history, including discoveries of hemp materials dating back 10,000 years, many believe hemp was the first food crop cultivated by humans.

With its ability to produce necessities such as food, rope, clothing, paper, building materials, and more, hemp was the catalyst for mankind's earliest developments.

What is cannabis?

'Marijuana' is a term used to classify Cannabis strains that contain more than 0.3% THC (by dry weight) and cause psychoactive and euphoric effects in users.

While the term is quite popular in American culture, it represents a poor understanding of Cannabis. Prominent individuals and organizations in the Cannabis industry refuse to use the term, with some even calling it 'racist' .

In early American history, the word 'marijuana' did not exist and 'cannabis' was used primarily to classify the plant.

Between the late 1910s and early 1920s, nearly 1 million Mexicans immigrated to the United States, seeking refuge from the Mexican Revolution.

During this time, anti-Mexican sentiment began to rise rapidly and the concept of 'marijuana' was born with the intention of associating Mexicans with marijuana use and demonizing it.

Soon, unfounded rumors began to circulate, warning Americans of the dangers and potential for murder caused by using 'Mexican marijuana' or 'smoking weed ', further fueling anti-Mexican sentiment.

With growing prejudice against marijuana, the US government began to impose increasingly strong laws on the plant.

By 1927, 11 states in the US had passed anti-marijuana laws, and by the 1930s, anti-marijuana propaganda and the fear of 'marijuana madness' were in full force.

After passing the federal law 'Marijuana Tax Act of 1937', which imposed heavy, unreasonable taxes on the possession, sale, or transportation of the plant, the federal government officially banned marijuana, setting the stage for 80 years of cannabis prohibition.

A poster depicting the harmful effects of marijuana in America in the 1970s.

Confusion Between Hemp and Marijuana

Based on the information used to describe hemp and marijuana plants, the defining characteristic that defines them is based on one factor – the THC content of the plant , which is what gets users high.

While the intoxicating properties of each plant are an important factor to consider, classifying Cannabis as hemp or marijuana based on a single characteristic is a misleading portrayal of Cannabis that prevents users from understanding its diversity.

Let's compare the taxonomic hierarchy of fruits in citrus with Cannabis:

As depicted in the diagram above:

Classifying Cannabis as either hemp or marijuana is like classifying all citrus fruits as either sweet or sour, without acknowledging the diverse characteristics of each fruit.

Additionally, hemp and marijuana may often not be able to be classified separately from each other.

This has led to many problems for the police when it comes to arresting and seizing hemp even though it is 100% legal but looks exactly like marijuana.

The classification of hemp or marijuana lacks a true understanding of Cannabis, presenting a clear problem of classification of effects.

The effective solution is to eliminate the existence of these words; however, now that these concepts are ingrained in our society, this problem will be difficult to change.

The only practical solution today is to re-educate the community over time.

In that case, it is probably best to educate ourselves on the definition of hemp and cannabis, how they are used in our society and legal system to avoid any trouble when using hemp or CBD products .

The Key Difference Between Hemp and Marijuana

As varieties of the same plant species, hemp and marijuana share many similarities and can even look identical.

The defining characteristic between hemp and marijuana is the chemical composition of each plant .

Both hemp and marijuana can produce large amounts of CBD, the non-psychoactive compound, but THC is produced in varying amounts.

While hemp contains no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight, marijuana can contain up to 30% THC content .

In general, hemp and marijuana are different in terms of identification. Although they contain the same chemicals, the ratio is 300 times different .

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