Facts About Hemp That You Should Know

Cannabis is the thing that frequently comes to mind when discussing hemp. Indeed, some people often refer to hemp as industrial cannabis. The Latin name for it is Cannabis sativa ssp. Sativa (read more).

Hemp is a plant species with quick-timed growth processes. People have acknowledged this industrial (or medicinal) plant since approximately 50,000 years ago.

Industrial-wise, their applications include papers, ropes, textiles, and biodegradable plastics. Many times, it has become the ingredient for several foods and vitamin products. As a food ingredient, humans and animals can consume hemp in healthy doses.

 

Where It Can Be Used

More specifically, these are the examples of where people frequently incorporate hemp:

 

• Food and beverage products: Includes milk, herbal teas, seed oil for cooking rice, vegan-friendly cookies, and high-protein ice creams.

 

• Skincare and makeup products: Face creams, face masks, hand and body washes, lip balms, lipsticks, CBD face powders, and eyeshadows.

 

• Clothing and apparel: Dresses, shorts, loafers, and bags.

 

• Building materials and tools: Include concrete, insulating plasters, fiberboards, thermal insulation blocks, bricks, ropes, and walls.

 

• Stationeries: A3 and A4 papers, paper envelopes, gift wrappers and tags, stickers, and pencil cases.

 

• Pieces of jewelry: Bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings, and beads.

 

• Automobile accessories: Include plastic interiors for car doors, glove boxes, columns for automobiles, and the Mercedes C-Class car.

 

These are just some of the many uses the plant has. Because of its benefits the range of products also expands. On rare occasions, hemp can also be a resource for biofuels. Animal beddings of various sizes, types, shapes, water and soil purification are some other applications of the plant.

 

Even though they are under the cannabis umbrella (and cannabis are equal to weed in some countries), you can use these plants to control weed and thistle populations. As a result, you may help farmers gain organic certifications and reap the benefits from rotating the crops.

 

The Things That Makes It Different From Marijuana

Both hemp and marijuana both fall into the Cannabis species. Their leaves and stems are even similar. We can see the application of both Cannabis products in Cannabidiol (CBD).

 

However, these two Cannabis species are different. We can even differentiate the two by their aliases. It is rare for people to refer to hemp in other names than its original names (we refer to them to the general Cannabis population).

 

Nonetheless, marijuana has many aliases. For instance, sometimes people call them Mary Jane. There are other times when these Cannabis families have pots or weeds as the alternative names.

 

Although, the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content is the thing that makes the biggest difference between the two. The THC itself is a primary psychoactive compound in every Cannabis product.

 

It is another substance (aside from CBD) that interacts with the endocannabinoid system in our body. The higher the THC concentration, the more likely a Cannabis product can get us high.

 

Marijuana has more than 0.3 percent of THC, while hemp has less than that portion. Such things make more states and countries not legalize marijuana. However, hemp is legal under specific circumstances in certain states or countries.

 

The Legal Aspect

Cannabis-related laws are some of the most dynamic laws in the U.S. So, the uses of hemp with the CBD and THC contents also differ according to the most recent regulation changes.

 

As of 2018, industrial hemp and its entire derivatives are no longer under the Controlled Substances Act. However, both the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classify it as Schedule I drugs.

 

Such different things occur because the Farm Bill of 2018 confirming this plant no longer belongs to the Controlled Substances Act thus gives independence to FDA for classification (link: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-regulation-cannabis-and-cannabis-derived-products-including-cannabidiol-cbd).

 

The same thing happens for DEA that puts all Cannabis products and derivatives into the same Schedule category. Hence, it makes 34 states in the U.S. (including Washington D.C.) legalize all Cannabis product uses for treating medical symptoms and illnesses.

 

The United Nations’ recommendation to remove all Cannabis products from the Schedule IV category was successful in 2020. Nevertheless, most of the votes reject removing hemp from Schedule I.

 

Such things mean consulting physicians before using hemp (and the rest of Cannabis products and derivatives) is a mandatory activity for everyone in any of the 34 states. Nonetheless, some states legalize recreational uses. It permits you to purchase infused products and other CBD products without prescriptions.

 

The Countries That Cultivate And Produce

Some countries outside the U.S. become either the cultivators or the producers of the plant. Japan and Portugal are two countries that have lengthy cultivation histories and applications of products that involve them.

Although, China is the world-leading producer of this plant, with more than 70% of the world output. France is the world-second-ranked producer, with around 25% of the world.

 

The rest of Europe, Chile, and North Korea produce more minuscule amounts compared to China and France.

 

In total, more than 30 countries are producing this wonder plant. Some of them are Australia, Germany, India, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Russia. Lately, Thailand does not only legalize the use of hemp. These Cannabis products are also some of the contributing commodities to Thailand’s economies.

 

Each of these countries has specialization for hemp products. For instance, in Canada, they are primarily for oil and protein powders.

 

On the other hand, the United Kingdom is well-known for horse-related purposes. Feral hemp (or the naturalized oilseed strains of Cannabis plants) are more common in the United Kingdom than in other countries that produce it.