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Cannabis Oil vs. Hemp Oil

What is the difference between hemp CBD and cannabis CBD?

As interest in cannabidiol (CBD) continues to grow, so does the availability of different products. A factor that often confuses people is whether the CBD in the products comes from hemp or cannabis. The short answer is that they derive from different varieties of the Cannabis Sativa plant.

The confusion surrounding hemp CBD vs. cannabis CBD relates to the plant’s classification, name, and makeup.

Basically, hemp plants generally contain more CBD, and cannabis plants contain more tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a compound that causes the ‘high’ that people associate with cannabis use.

Keep reading to learn more about the differences between hemp CBD and cannabis CBD.

Is CBD legal? The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the legal definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act. This made some hemp-derived CBD products with less than 0.3% THC federally legal. However, CBD products containing more than 0.3% THC still fall under the legal definition of marijuana, making them federally illegal but legal under some state laws. Be sure to check state laws, especially when traveling. Also, keep in mind that the FDA has not approved nonprescription CBD products, and some products may be inaccurately labeled.

Why CBD?

a gloved hand touching a hemp of cannabis plant that can be used to produce CBD oil
Hemp and cannabis contain different amounts of CBD and THC.

Public interest in and the availability of CBD have grown due to its promising health benefits. People use CBD to help with a wide variety of physical and mental issues, including pain, nausea, addiction, and depression.

Although scientific studies have not confirmed CBD’s usefulness for all these conditions, available evidence suggests that CBD works with the endocannabinoid system, which is a signaling network.

Learn more about the potential health benefits of CBD oil here.

CBD, or cannabidiol, is non-intoxicating and one of the more than 540 phytochemicalsTrusted Source found in the Cannabis sativa (C. sativa) plant. THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is the compound that gets people “high.” It is the difference between THC levels found in hemp and cannabis that has caused so many legal complications.

What is hemp? 

Hemp is a specific variety of C. sativa. People have grown hemp for hundreds of years, using it to make rope, clothes, sails, food, and much more. Industrial hemp has an equally long history in the United States – Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the country, grew it himself.

The 2018 Farm Bill considers C. sativa plants with less than 0.3 percent THC as hemp or industrial hemp. Producers can grow it legally across most of the U.S., subject to strict regulations, and excluding three states.

Hemp plants do contain THC but at very low levels. However, certain types of processed hemp, such as tinctures, gummies, or capsules, can still cause euphoria.

In most cases, manufacturers use the leaves and flowers of the hemp plant to make CBD products.

Hemp CBD vs. Cannabis CBD: What’s the difference? (medicalnewstoday.com)

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