Hemp and marijuana are usually referred to as “species” or “strains” of cannabis. They actually do not qualify as either one. They are simply broad classifications of cannabis that were adopted into our culture.
To clarify the difference between hemp and marijuana and a clear the smoke on this frequently misinformed subject, let us explain what each of the terms actually mean and how they are relevant to cannabis. What is hemp?
Hemp is a term used to classify different types of cannabis that contain .3% or less THC. Hemp has generally been used to describe non-intoxicating cannabis that is for the industrial use of derived products.
Throughout history, including the discovery of materials made from him over 10,000 years ago. Many believe that Hamp was the first crop ever cultivated by mankind. It has the capability to produce critical research has such as food, rope, clothing, paper, housing materials, medicine and many more. Hemp has been catalyst from man’s innovations.
“Marijuana” is a term to classify varieties of cannabis that contain more than .3% THC and can induce euphoric effects on the user. This term is widely spread throughout American culture. It present an inadequate misrepresentation of cannabis.
Most informed individuals and organizations refuse to use the term marijuana. And early American history the term was non-existent and cannabis was the primary term used to classify the plant.
Based on the context used to describe hemp and marijuana is based on a single factor of the amount of THC in the plant. Categorizing cannabis as either hemp or marijuana based on a single property of cannabis has prevented users from fully understanding its diversity. Categories in cannabis has either hemp or marijuana is like classifying all fruits as either sweet or sour, without knowing the diversity characteristics of each fruit.
Hemp and marijuana can often appear indistinguishable from one another. This is already led lots of issues of law enforcement making arrests and seizing hemp that is 100% legal because it looks exactly like “marijuana.”
Defining characteristics between hemp and marijuana is the chemical compost contained in each plant. Both can produce high amounts of CBD, the intoxicating cannabis compound; however, THC is produced at a very different levels while hemp has no more than .3% THC. While marijuana can contain up to 30% THC.
Due to the difference between the levels of THC, hemp and marijuana are regulated very differently by the law. Hemp was previously regulated as an illegal substance under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, it was removed as a illegal substance under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. It legalized hemp and hemp derived products making CBD from hemp completely legal.
Cannabinoids have an extensive history dating back thousands of years, and currently, there are thousands of peer-reviewed scientific publications that document the underlying biochemical pathways that cannabinoids modulate. The endocannabinoid system possessed by all vertebrates regulates all body systems and maintains homeostasis. As such, the mechanisms of phytocannabinoids’ biological impact are multidimensional.
Some applications of cannabinoids have been well established as alleviating nausea and stimulating the appetite for people with AIDS and Cancer. Other well- known uses include easing chronic pain and reducing muscle spasms associated with neuromuscular disorders like MS and spinal cord injuries. Its been effective in alleviating certain autoimmune disorders, such as Crohn’s Disease.
Uses for cannabinoids are consistently discovered. For example, scientists recently found that topical cannabinoid-based preparations can be effective against MRSI, the deadly antibiotic-resistant flesh- eating disease. Other topical applications, which are largely non-psychoactive, would target localized pain, such as arthritis and burns, as well as neuropathic pain, for which there are few effective treatments.
cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), and cannabinol (CBN). Several of the identified cannabi‐ noids are both chemically and pharmacologically poorly characterized.
Cannabinoids were first discovered in the 1940s, when CBD and CBN were identified. THC was not identified until 1964, but by that time cannabinoids had been removed from the pharmacopeiae of most countries, making further research on the plant difficult.
Phytocannabinoids, that occur uniquely in the cannabis plant. Phytocannabinoids, also called natural cannabinoids, herbal cannabinoids, and classical cannabinoids, are only known to occur naturally in significant quantity in the cannabis plant. They are concentrated in a viscous resin that is produced in glandular structures known as trichomes, and are most prevalent in the flowers of the female plants.
The endocannabinoid system refers to a group of neuromodulators and receptors involved in a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain sensation, mood, and memory. The system is named for endocannabinoids, the endogenous lipids that bind cannabinoid receptors.
Science increasingly recognizes the role that endo-cannabinoids play in major life functions in the human body. Cannabinoids act as a bio regulatory mechanism. Common prescribed ailments include: Pain, arthritic conditions, migraine headaches, anxiety, epileptic seizures, insomnia, loss of appetite, GERD, epileptic seizures, insomnia, loss of appetite, GERD (chronic heartburn), nausea, glaucoma, AIDS wasting syndrome, depression, bipolar disorder (particularly depression-manic-normal), multiple sclerosis, menstrual cramps, Parkinson’s, trigeminal neuralgia (tic douloureux), high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, and bladder incontinence.