CBD is fast becoming a trend in the health community, but many don’t understand the full implications.
Medically, cannabis has been linked to the treatment of epilepsy, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and many more conditions.
But there’s so much confusion around cannabis.
To be clear, hemp and marijuana share many similarities. Because of legal regulations and their effects, it’s important not to get these confused.
Both hemp and marijuana can produce high amounts of CBD. CBD is the non mind altering cannabis compound.
CBD vs THC
CBD is cannabidiol which has many medical therapeutic properties and is extracted from hemp.
THC is tetrahydrocannabinol which also has medical therapeutic effects, as well as mind altering properties. It is mainly found in marijuana.
Both hemp and marijuana can have CBD. Hemp contains no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight, while marijuana can contain up to 30% THC content.
Due to the levels of the THC, these plants are regulated very differently under the law.
While marijuana is commonly perceived for its recreational use, studies have revealed its potential medical therapeutic effect. This is why we have some states that have legalized medical marijuana.
In comparison, hemp is harvested and used for many different products including paper, building materials, plastic, cooking oil, hemp flour, and medicinally as CBD oil and CBD infused topicals.
Hemp Derived CBD vs Marijuana Derived CBD
It’s important to note that CBD can be dervived from either hemp or marijuana.
Even though CBD is extracted from two different plants, at the molecular level they are the same.
But the legal confusion comes from the fact that hemp derived CBD is legal under the 2018 Farm Bill, while marijuana derived CBD, which is regulated by the FDA as a controlled substance, is still illegal in many states.
This is the case even if the marijuana dervived CBD contains 0% THC.
Confusing right?
Because CBD dervived from hemp typically contains less than 0.3% THC and doesn’t have the mind altering effect, it’s fast becoming the popular herbal remedy.
Let’s talk more about the meaning of different terms which can sometimes be confused with one another.
Cannabidiol
This is what’s known as CBD, an active compound in cannabis plants.
CBD is effective because our bodies have an endocannabinoid system which interacts with the cannabis.
So what’s the hype with CBD? It’s known to reduce inflammation in the body without the high, it’s not habit forming, and it works naturally in our bodies as we have receptors that interact with it.
The effective dose is highly individualized and it is recommended to get some guidance by a properly trained health care professional.
Cannabis
This is a general term for marijuana or hemp.
Cannabis is a genus, a collection of plants which includes both marijuana and hemp plants.
Rather than using terms like pot, weed, etc., this term is used by health care professionals as it creates a softer feel for those who are apprehensive about using marijuana or hemp as part of their wellness regimen.
Marijuana
This is a high THC cannabis plant.
Marijuana contains high levels of THC and moderate levels of CBD.
There are some medical benefits to the THC, however, due to the legal grey zone, we will leave it for those with specific medical prescriptions in respective legalized states.
Hemp
This is a high CBD cannabis plant.
Hemp plants are high in CBD and very low in THC (<0.3%). It’s also important to note that hemp oil doesn’t mean it’s CBD oil.
When shopping for the CBD oil, it’s important to note where and how the hemp was grown because according to experts, hemp tends to readily absorb toxins, pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers.
We currently reside in Georgia and even though we’ve removed hemp from the controlled substances act under the federal Farm Bill, there’s still confusion between marijuana and hemp.
Due to what we’ve discussed here, it’s important to be aware as we get flooded with marketing enticing us to try CBD oil.
Remember, being informed is key to staying proactive about your health.
I hope this clarified some common misconceptions about CBD oil.
I would love to hear from you, so please leave comments.
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