How is hemp different than marijuana?
Hemp and
marijuana are two different varieties of
Cannabis sativa L., a flowering herb indigenous to many parts of the world. “Marijuana” is cultivated for high levels of THC, which is concentrated mostly in the
flowers and trichomes of the plant. When you grow “marijuana,” male plants are culled and female plants are cultivated, since the THC content is most abundant in the buds or female part of the plant. “Marijuana” plants are typically grown far apart to avoid possible seeding (from male to female plants), which would lower the THC content in the buds. Industrial hemp, on the other hand, is cultivated for its fiber, and has almost undetectable levels of
THC and comparatively higher levels of CBD. This is partly because hemp is planted close together and therefore has an abundance of seeds (from regular male-female pollination) and grows tall, which is perfect for harvesting fiber from the stalks.
Hemp has been grown and cultivated worldwide for thousands of years for industrial and medical purposes, making useful items like rope, clothing, sails, paper, and thousands of other products. Again…hemp will
not make you “
high.”