Are Hemp and Marijuana Flower Buds the Same?
Most people are not able to properly determine whether a bud is from hemp or marijuana. You can know more about marijuana when you read here: https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/marijuana. The two plants came from the strains of Cannabis sativa, and they are almost the same when viewed from afar but they are different from each other.
As the demand for cannabidiol is skyrocketing, the industry for it is beginning to become independent from the illegally traded marijuana. However, it is no question that hemp is still closely related to Cannabis, and there’s always a gray area with regards to its legality.
Because of the confusing and complicated explanations, most CBD users are becoming more alert when it comes to getting hemp flower buds. They make sure that what they have is hemp, and they won’t get arrested because of marijuana possession. For those who are not familiar with the differences, here are some of the few points that can help them understand more about the distinctive qualities of each bud.
About the Cannabis plant
The Cannabis is a genus of the Cannabaceae family, and it can grow into three species. The three primary species are sativa, indica, and ruderalis.
The hemp and marijuana are commonly called strains of Cannabis, but this is just a broad classification. To clarify the difference for both, here are some of the terms that can help you out.
What is Hemp in the First Place?
Hemp is the term called for the Cannabis plants that contain less than 0.3% of tetrahydrocannabinol by its dry weight. It contains CBD which you can read more here.
The Farm Bill Act of 2018 has legalized it, and the hemp plant is often used to describe the non-intoxicating species of Cannabis. The extracts and the plants are harvested for industrial and medical uses.
There’s evidence recorded many years ago that shows hemp as having healing properties over 10,000 years ago. Many people even believed that it is one of the first crops that were cultivated to be used by men.
The plant can be converted into resources such as ropes, food, house, paper, clothes, and more. It is a catalyst for the innovations that were thought of by mankind. Nowadays, you can get hemp seed oil, protein powder, seed hearts, protein supplements, and a lot more if you know where to look.
What’s the Definition of Marijuana?
Marijuana is often the term for Cannabis that has over 30% THC by dry weight. It can introduce their users to euphoric highs, but the weed has psychoactive effects. While most US and other countries are familiar with this term, it perhaps consists of a misrepresentation of the entire cannabis plant. Most organizations even refuse to use the word marijuana as they consider this to some form of racism.
In its early days, the term marijuana or weed was even non-existent. Most people use the word Cannabis to classify the plant. In the US, where Mexican immigrants began using locoweed, rumors have started to surface about the user’s suicidal and homicidal tendencies.
The government became more aggressive in imposing heavy and unrealistic taxes on marijuana. Anyone who was proven to possess, sell, or transport the plant will be banned. The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 has begun to pave the way for almost eight decades of prohibiting the usage of weed.
The Difference
When it comes to the looks, many people may find them confusing since they are very similar in composition. Learn more about their differences on cheefbotanicals where you can find more in-depth information about the species. But there are certain key differences that one should look forward to. The weed plant has a more compact and broader look while the hemp is taller, and they look skinny as they grow to the top.
The chemical composition is very different. The hemp plants contain variable amounts of compounds such as CBD and only less than 1% THC. For a Cannabis product to be legally sold, it should not contain more than 0.3% THC, while marijuana has more than 5% to 30% THC content.
Are Hemp and Marijuana Flower Buds the Same?
Reasons for Confusion
It is normal for cops to confuse the two plants since they are so similar in look. Law enforcement may never have the time to distinguish properly between the two. However, when the Farm Bill act was passed in 2018, most enforcers are now getting detection kits to determine the THC concentration of a strain. There will be more improvements in legalization, but this can take time.
