A commonly discussed topic in the cannabis industry is the difference between CBD derived from hemp, versus CBD extracted from marijuana. CBD extraction is becoming a lot more prominent in the industry and there has been much discussion that if it’s hemp derived, it’s not as potent or clean as marijuana-based.
What is the difference?
Both types come from the same cannabis species but are grown for different purposes. Cannabis is one of the oldest plants known to mankind and the hemp plant is similar looking to the marijuana plant.
Hemp-based CBD is primarily grown for purposes of food, oil, paper, etc. On a molecular level, CBD is the same on both plants. The levels of THC in a cannabis plant is how, we the people, have legally distinguished which plants are hemp and which plants are marijuana. Plants with high levels of THC is what gives marijuana its psychoactive properties while plants with less than 0.3% of THC are labeled as hemp.
Many cannabis users also get caught up in the idea that CBD derived from “industrial hemp,” is considered dirty or less than if it was derived from a marijuana plant. This is found to be false. According to CBDdistillery.com, hemp derived CBD tends to be more potent, as well as cleaner.
Since CBD is legal in all 50 states, this has been helpful to patients who don’t have access to medical cannabis. With the popularity of CBD on the rise, more and more smoke shops are selling this product. Let’s remember CBD property is the non-psychoactive part of the cannabis plant. It reacts with the same part of the brain as THC does, but has a completely different effect. This compound has significant medical benefits but does not necessarily make you feel “stoned.”
