There are some in our government who are still figuring this one out, but hemp and marijuana are not identical. Sure, they both come from the same plant, but there are significant differences between the two. Let’s take a look.
TRY TO GET HIGH OFF HEMP
We’ll save you the trouble. You could smoke hemp 24/7 and you’ll probably just succeed in aggravating your lungs. That’s because hemp contains negligible amounts of THC. Hemp has never been cultivated for psychoactive purposes. For many thousands of years, hemp has been bred for agricultural and industrial uses only. While hemp contains up to .3% of THC, marijuana contains 5-20% THC on average. Huge difference!
THEY DON’T LOOK THE SAME
Hemp is cultivated to have very strong, fibrous stalks that can reach heights of 20 feet! It has skinny leaves that are mainly found at the top of the plant, and it has very few branches and flowering buds. Marijuana plants are short and bushy, with broad leaves and compact buds, sometimes with hairs on them. When people talk about marijuana, they’re talking about the leaves and flowers from the cannabis plant – the parts that contain a lot of cannabinoids (remember those?).
IT’S HARDER TO GROW MARIJUANA
It doesn’t take much to cultivate and maintain a crop of hemp. In fact, it’s been found growing among weeds in the American Midwest. Hemp can tolerate diverse climates and can be grown very close together. On the other hand, you need a carefully controlled environment to grow marijuana. Marijuana thrives in a warm and humid atmosphere, and the plants have to be spaced far apart from each other (around 6 feet between plants).
APPLICATIONS
As we’ve mentioned previously, hemp has a long history of being used to make a slew of dry goods like paper, clothes, canvas, twine, pet bedding, fuel, body lotions and oils, construction materials, and even foods. You can make salad oil from hemp, eat the seeds like nuts, and crush the seeds to make flour. And get this – researchers are studying how we might create nanosheets from hemp fibers, leading to more efficient batteries!
Now, you can’t make paint, detergent, or a boat sail out of marijuana. But according to some medical studies, it may decrease anxiety, control epileptic seizures, reverse the carcinogenic effects of tobacco, slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and even stop cancer cells from spreading.
Got any questions about hemp vs. marijuana? Our friendly budtenders are here to give you answers – and to tell you about the special deals we offer each week! Stop by and let’s chat; we’re always happy to see our customers.
