{"id":308,"date":"2024-06-23T18:14:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-23T18:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sunnyislescannabislaws.com\/?p=308"},"modified":"2025-03-04T01:45:20","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T01:45:20","slug":"hemp-vs-cannabis-whats-the-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sunnyislescannabislaws.com\/hemp-vs-cannabis-whats-the-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"Hemp vs. Cannabis: What\u2019s the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Hemp<\/strong> and <strong>cannabis<\/strong> are terms often used interchangeably, but they refer to distinct varieties of the same plant species: <strong>Cannabis sativa<\/strong>. Despite sharing common roots, hemp and cannabis are cultivated for different purposes, have different legal statuses, and contain varying levels of the psychoactive compound <strong>THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)<\/strong>. In this article, we\u2019ll explore the differences between the two and where each is legally permitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Hemp: A Versatile Industrial Crop<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Hemp is a variety of the <strong>Cannabis sativa<\/strong> plant, but it contains <strong>less than 0.3% THC<\/strong>, the psychoactive compound responsible for the \u201chigh\u201d associated with cannabis. Due to this low THC content, hemp is non-intoxicating and is grown for a variety of industrial uses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Uses of Hemp<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Hemp has been cultivated for thousands of years for its <strong>fibers, seeds, and oil<\/strong>, and it\u2019s used in a wide range of industries, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Textiles<\/strong>: Hemp fibers are used to make clothing, ropes, and other materials.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Food<\/strong>: Hemp seeds and oil are highly nutritious and used in food products like protein powders, granola, and hemp seed oil.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cosmetics<\/strong>: Hemp oil is a popular ingredient in skincare and cosmetic products.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Building materials<\/strong>: Hemp can be processed into <strong>hempcrete<\/strong>, a sustainable building material.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Biofuel<\/strong>: Hemp can be used as a source of renewable energy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Legal Status of Hemp<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In the U.S., <strong>hemp<\/strong> was federally legalized in <strong>2018<\/strong> under the <strong>Farm Bill<\/strong>, allowing for its cultivation and sale as long as it contains <strong>less than 0.3% THC<\/strong>. This law permits the sale of <strong>CBD products<\/strong> derived from hemp, which are commonly available across the country. Hemp is legal in many other countries, including <strong>Canada<\/strong>, parts of <strong>Europe<\/strong>, and <strong>Australia<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/hemp\">U.S. Department of Agriculture &#8211; Hemp and Farm Bill<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Cannabis: The Psychoactive Plant<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Cannabis refers to the <strong>THC-rich<\/strong> varieties of the Cannabis sativa plant. It is cultivated specifically for its <strong>flowers<\/strong>, which contain significant levels of THC, the compound responsible for the psychoactive effects associated with cannabis consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Uses of Cannabis<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Cannabis is primarily used for <strong>medicinal<\/strong> and <strong>recreational<\/strong> purposes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Medicinal cannabis<\/strong>: Cannabis is prescribed for a variety of medical conditions such as <strong>chronic pain<\/strong>, <strong>anxiety<\/strong>, <strong>epilepsy<\/strong>, and <strong>cancer-related symptoms<\/strong>. Certain cannabinoids, including <strong>CBD<\/strong> and <strong>THC<\/strong>, are believed to have therapeutic effects.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Recreational cannabis<\/strong>: Cannabis is consumed recreationally for its psychoactive effects, usually through <strong>smoking<\/strong>, <strong>vaporizing<\/strong>, or <strong>edibles<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Legal Status of Cannabis<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The legal status of cannabis varies dramatically by region. In the U.S., several states, including <strong>California<\/strong>, <strong>Colorado<\/strong>, and <strong>Oregon<\/strong>, have fully legalized both <strong>recreational and medicinal cannabis<\/strong>. However, cannabis remains classified as a <strong>Schedule I drug<\/strong> under federal law, meaning it is illegal at the federal level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Globally, countries like <strong>Canada<\/strong>, <strong>Uruguay<\/strong>, and parts of <strong>Europe<\/strong> have fully legalized cannabis for both medicinal and recreational use. Many other countries, such as <strong>Germany<\/strong> and <strong>Italy<\/strong>, have legalized cannabis for medical purposes but still restrict its recreational use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\">Leafly &#8211; Cannabis Legalization<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Differences Between Hemp and Cannabis<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>THC Content<\/strong>: Hemp contains <strong>less than 0.3% THC<\/strong>, while cannabis contains significantly higher levels of THC, often between <strong>5% and 30%<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Legal Status<\/strong>: Hemp is widely legal due to its low THC content, while cannabis is subject to more stringent regulations depending on the jurisdiction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Uses<\/strong>: Hemp is used in a variety of industrial products, while cannabis is primarily used for its <strong>psychoactive<\/strong> and <strong>medicinal<\/strong> properties.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Real Difference<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While <strong>hemp<\/strong> and <strong>cannabis<\/strong> may come from the same plant species, they are distinctly different in terms of <strong>chemical composition<\/strong>, <strong>uses<\/strong>, and <strong>legal status<\/strong>. Hemp is non-psychoactive and widely used in industrial applications, while cannabis is cultivated for its medicinal and recreational effects. Understanding the difference between the two is crucial as both play an increasingly important role in today\u2019s world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sources<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/hemp\">U.S. Department of Agriculture &#8211; Hemp and Farm Bill<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\">Leafly &#8211; Cannabis Legalization<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\">Healthline &#8211; Differences Between Hemp and Cannabis<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hemp and cannabis are terms often used interchangeably, but they refer to distinct varieties of the same plant species: Cannabis sativa. Despite sharing common roots, hemp and cannabis are cultivated for different purposes, have different legal statuses, and contain varying levels of the psychoactive compound THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). In this article, we\u2019ll explore the differences between [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":327,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunnyislescannabislaws.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunnyislescannabislaws.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunnyislescannabislaws.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunnyislescannabislaws.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunnyislescannabislaws.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=308"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sunnyislescannabislaws.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":330,"href":"https:\/\/sunnyislescannabislaws.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308\/revisions\/330"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunnyislescannabislaws.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/327"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sunnyislescannabislaws.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunnyislescannabislaws.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sunnyislescannabislaws.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}