March 5, 2022

Jen Hight

Cannabis

Hemp Vs. Marijuana: What’s the Difference?

Table of contents:

• Key Takeaways
• Hemp and Marijuana Are NOT The Same Thing
• What is Hemp?
• Is Hemp-Derived THC Legal?

Key Takeaways

• Distinction Between Hemp and Marijuana: Hemp and marijuana are both cannabis plants but differ significantly; hemp is high in CBD and low in THC, which means it can’t produce the psychoactive effects that marijuana does.
• Legal Status and Uses of Hemp: Hemp-derived products like CBD are legal under federal law as long as they contain less than 0.3% THC, thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, unlike marijuana, which remains a controlled substance in many states.
• Variety and Extraction Processes: The blog emphasizes the diversity of products derived from hemp, including full-spectrum CBD oils and isolated cannabinoids like delta 8 THC, which are legally produced under specific THC concentration guidelines.
• Market Challenges and Consumer Safety: Despite legal status, the hemp industry faces challenges such as lack of regulation by the FDA, leading to market inconsistencies and the risk of fraudulent products, underscoring the importance of transparency and verified lab testing like that practiced by ATLRx.

Hemp and Marijuana Are NOT The Same Thing

Did anyone else have a strange hemp phase in middle school? You know, where you wore hemp threaded bracelets and necklaces until you’re forced to look at yourself in the mirror. You may have said, “I’m in eighth-grade. I think that Baha Men have serious musical potential.” It’s only then you’re realizing, I have no idea what hemp has to do with marijuana. A question that we often receive here at ATLRx, is what is the difference between hemp and marijuana. There are a lot of similarities, so it can be a bit puzzling at first.

What is Hemp?

Hemp is a form of cannabis that has a plethora of cannabinoids much like marijuana. Cannabinoids are the different compounds inside cannabis like CBD and THC. We at ATLRx prefer to not disrupt the natural balance of the plant, and all of our CBD products contain full-spectrum CBD oil. The mass of cannabinoids within hemp creates a full-spectrum CBD oil rather than an isolate. Isolates can be taken from the hemp plant, but will not contain components such as THC. Isolates, much like in the name, are isolated cannabinoids and offer less than full spectrum products.

The cannabis plant can have male or female organs based on the species or strand—making it a dioecious plant. The nutrient and cannabinoid-rich CBD oil is derived from the hemp plant’s flowers, leaves, and stocks. Interestingly, the separation of the sexes is necessary. Hemp can be okay with having a male scattered throughout a field of females, but marijuana farms have to keep their male and female plants separate like in a boarding school. Otherwise, the opposite genders cross paths; then pollination occurs—burying farmers in seeds.

Hemp plants produce more CBD than THC, whereas marijuana produces psychoactive delta 9 THC. Hemp has more CBD readily available than marijuana does, whereas marijuana contains more THC. But this brings on the point that hemp plants can’t get you high. However hemp extraction includes delta 8 distillate and other analogs through isolated processes.

Is Hemp-Derived THC Legal?

Extracts being hemp-derived is crucial when it comes to state laws. For example, hemp-derived CBD is federally legal as long as the THC stays underneath 0.3%. This is the ruling in the state of Georgia, hence our strict lab testing procedures. Anything above makes it a schedule I drug. Unlike some west coast states, Georgia has yet to legalize recreational marijuana or delta 9 THC. The Farm Bill of 2018 is what made hemp-derived THC products federally legal. The loophole was introduced when hemp (cannabis sativa l) and anything derived from the plant with 0.3 percent or less delta 9 THC were removed from the controlled substances act.

Yes, hemp can be thrown into the same category as a schedule I substance. But now, some strains deliberately keep a lower THC level to guarantee a federally legal crop. Around this time in 2018, all of the fun began; the introduction of delta 8 THC laid out the CBD industry’s next chapter. It opened a whole new portal, a future of isolated cannabinoid molecules. We have now introduced a variety of other cannabinoids including THC O, THCV, Delta 10, as well as HHC.

It’s important to understand that the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the CBD market. Please understand that hemp and even CBD products are targeted by frauds looking to make a quick buck. Hemp oil is just the pressing of hemp seeds. It’s a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, but will  not contain any cannabinoids. The hemp seed oil market pilfers wallets with the misconception that it is indeed CBD oil. There are false promises made by brands that have no intention of telling you the truth. There have been a series of investigations that have exposed claimed CBD products that ended up containing no CBD whatsoever.

This is not an issue with ATLRx because of our transparency. We want you to know what you’re using. On all of our products, we have QR Codes that display the batches with DEA-certified full-panel lab reports. Everything in the product is listed, and you will leave our locations with new, accurate, and factual information.