With its newfound fame, many medical marijuana patients believe cannabidiol (CBD) has the most medicinal benefits of all cannabis compounds – but did you know there are actually two types of CBD on the market? One created from hemp, the other from marijuana.
Sounds confusing right? Due to almost a century of misinformation about cannabis, the distinction between cannabis and its two primary species – hemp and marijuana – has become so unclear that some even consider the three to be one and the same.
However, it’s the distinction between CBD derived from marijuana flower and CBD from hemp plants that set them apart. Marijuana is harvested for its buds, which contains psychoactive properties like THC known to produce intoxicating effects. When it comes to hemp, the stalks and seeds are the targets of this crop. In fact, for cannabis to be considered hemp, it must have no more than 0.3 percent THC.
Although marijuana CBD oil and hemp oil are both low in THC, the difference in the amount of CBD these products contain is huge. Hemp oils contain lower traces of CBD (around 3.5 %) while marijuana-based CBD can have up to 18 – 20% or more and is often balanced with THC to encourage a reaction known as the “entourage effect”. This occurs when both cannabinoids function synergistically to heighten the medicinal effects of these products.
While not as potent, hemp-based CBD products are still useful and should be considered more of a health supplement. The best part is that with no THC content, these products can be found in health food stores all over the country – legal in all 50 states. The differences are perfectly natural and won’t cause any issues, so just think of hemp CBD as more of a vitamin and bud-based products as pharmaceutical grade.
