Is marijuana the same as hemp? The simple answer: no, it isn’t—however, hemp and marijuana both come from the same plant species, called Cannabis sativa l.
Hemp plants are a different cultivar than the marijuana plant, which means that although they’re the same species, the plants grow differently and have different properties. Cannabis is a general term referring to three types of marijuana plants that have psychoactive properties: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. You’ve probably heard the words indica sativa, as well as Hybrid: crosses between the two varieties. The third type, ruderalis, isn’t as well-known or grown very often because it has low THC and isn’t suitable for industrial hemp uses.
Is hemp the same as marijuana or cannabis?
Sometimes people refer to cannabis with a high THC content as “hemp flower” but the hemp plant isn’t the same as cannabis or marijuana that contains high levels of THC. Hemp is the name for the industrial version of the Cannabis sativa plant that produces large, tall plants that are useful for fiber, food, clothing, and other goods.
Does hemp have THC?
Hemp, aka industrial hemp, does have some THC, but in such a low amount that it is unlikely to produce any euphoric effects. Hemp legally must have below 0.3% THC in order to be cultivated under USDA regulations.
What is the difference between hemp and marijuana?
The main difference between hemp and marijuana is that hemp legally can’t have more than 0.3% THC content. Whereas marijuana, whether it comes from Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica, has much higher percentages of THC.
Depending on the cultivars and types of plants, indica or sativa marijuana plants tend to also have lower levels of CBD than industrial hemp plants. Over time, studies have shown that hemp plants have higher levels of CBD than cannabis plants like indica weed which have been bred for high levels of THC.
Src: https://risecannabis.com/