You may have heard from the news that marijuana is being legalized in several states across the country. What you may not often hear, is the legalization of hemp. Why do we legalize marijuana, while not even mentioning hemp? What about hemp that makes it different from marijuana and why is marijuana illegal? In this article, we aim to clear the smoke between hemp and marijuana and answer all questions that may regard the two plants. What you’ll learn may be more surprising than you think!
Are Hemp and Marijuana the Same Plant?
Both hemp and marijuana are actually the same cannabis sativa plant. If you were to be presented with a hemp plant and a marijuana plant, it would be very difficult to tell the difference unless you smoked or tested it. If you did smoke the two, you would know that the marijuana plant is the one that gets you high. The difference between hemp and marijuana is the fact that hemp will not give you a psychoactive reaction. That is because hemp, also known as industrial hemp, is by law defined as a cannabis plant that contains less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC. In the United States, all marijuana plants and marijuana products are all defined by the 2018 Farm Bill as containing more than 0.3% Delta-9 THC. To find out more as to why hemp is legal in the United States, please check out our article discussing what makes Delta-8 THC legal.
If hemp and marijuana are the same plant, why do we care about what they are called? In reality, we shouldn’t, as a lab report for each strain would suffice in giving consumers a better understanding of what to expect from the plant. However, we are required by law to distinguish and define marijuana and hemp as different plants, despite them being the same. This may sound incredibly confusing, as there are very few if any cases that legally discriminates a plant into two categories.
Is Marijuana Legal?
Marijuana as you may already know is that pop culture sensation that gets you lifted and sends your head into the clouds. What you may not know, however, is that marijuana is not the same as cannabis. Marijuana is defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services as part of the cannabis plant that contains the highest amounts of THC. As previously mentioned, marijuana is defined as having more than 0.3% Delta-9 THC. Now we know that all marijuana is cannabis, but not all cannabis is marijuana. All marijuana, however, is exclusively used for recreational and medicinal consumption. Laws vary from state to state. So make sure to look up your state’s law.
Under federal law Marijuana is still considered a Scheduled I Controlled Substance. If you currently live in a state that legalized Marijuana. This may be surprising but possession, buying, or selling marijuana is still a federal crime and illegal. You can be charged as federal law still treats marijuana as a controlled substance, just like heroin and crack cocaine.
Hemp is Legal?
We have a pretty good understanding of what marijuana is, but what about hemp? Industrial hemp as previously mentioned, are cannabis plants with less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC. These are the types of plants we at Mints primarily use in order to provide you with completely legal products. All of our products are hemp derived, and produced within the United States. Hemp, despite it not containing Delta-9 THC, is still a highly versatile and useful plant. Cannabinoids like CBD, Delta-8, Delta-10, HHC are all derived from hemp plants, and provide countless medicinal benefits. Additionally, the cannabis plant itself can be used for several other applications such as weaving textiles, strengthening concrete, making paper, and so much more! When compared to other crops, hemp is able to be produced at a fraction of the cost, while also providing a better resource for any of its applications.
We hope you have learned about the difference between hemp and marijuana, as well as their general uses and applications. That all being said, this is still just the surface of the potential behind the cannabis plant. We are still discovering more uses for cannabis, and how it can continue to benefit our way of life. If you are interested in learning more about cannabis, please be sure to check out our blog for more information, otherwise, please check out our shop and browse our high quality hemp derived products!
*Keep in mind this is not Legal Advice. This is public information that can change at anytime*
