Hemp is something that’s used not just for cannabis consumption, but it’s also something more. it can be used in rope, clothing, cleaning products, food, and is even considered a biofuel. While it won’t create the high that weed does, this is something that still offers a ton of health benefits. 

What it is 

Hemp is part of the cannabis sativa species, and it also does have the same ancestor that marijuana and other types of cannabis plants have. While cannabis is usually bred solely for the buds and the cultivate profiles, or the psychoactive reasons, the hemp plant is bred for the fibers of the stalk, and the seeds that are used as a great resource. 

The thing with hemp, is that it’s not something new. It’s been used for years and is considered the oldest crop that’s been domesticated known to people on earth. We get fiber directly from the stems of the plant, which is what’s used to make materials to build, clothing, rope, and even paper in a lot of cases. You can also get oil of this directly from the flowers and leaves, offering better cooking, and the seeds are also a great protein for you to use too. 

The difference between legal hemp that you can get anywhere and those that are considered marijuana is basically the amount of THC in this. Most hemp plants have less than .3% THC in it, but you can also get marijuana cultivars from this, with little THC, but it’s still viewed as marijuana typically by the government. 

The differences between hemp and Marijuana 

There are some differences between this. The first and most obvious is the THC content within this. Psychoactive strains tend to contain a lot more THC, but all hemp that’s legal has only .3% THC in this, based on the dry weight. Even with the differences, farmers do need to have a license to raise the hemp, in order to work with the US laws. Hemp also has a lot of the same compounds that are found in marijuana too, which makes it something worth using. 

However, the big difference is that it’s in lower amounts. So you can consume it to have the benefits, but it’s not as worthwhile compared to say using other types of cannabis products such as CBD. Hemp is usually bred to get the seeds and the stalk, which is used for a variety of applications, including industrial and nutritional applications, and it also is a great bioremediatory to help restore soil that needs it. 

Marijuana is bred and grown for one reason: the trichomes. The trichomes are where a ton of the different cannabinoids are, including those that aren’t necessarily active. CBN, CBD, THCV, and the like offer a ton of great, therapeutic benefits to this that can really shine when you breed them a certain way. 

Hemp uses 

Hemp is something that’s used for a variety of reasons, including food, clothing, and other materials. 

CBD oil is actually taken from the leaves and the flowers, which is a legal way federally to let people use CBD as a supplement, which is why a lot of the cultivation for farmers is usually for this. Hemp oil is great for cooking, since it has a lot of omega-3s in it. 

The fibers are used for clothing, textiles, papers, ropes, and other materials to build. You can harvest to hurds in order to make anything from ceiling panels to bedding. The fibers that are on the outer parts of this do actually get separated as well too.