Hang on there! Are you taking a CBD product that comes from marijuana? Maybe.

It is all so confusing. Hemp, marijuana, CBD, cannabis. What’s it all about?! Let’s break it down.

If you are purchasing your CBD product from a dispensary, the CBD likely came from the marijuana plant. If you are purchasing your CBD product in a retail store, a natural products or grocery store for example, it likely came from hemp.

Both hemp and marijuana have been used for hundreds of years by humans and they both come from the cannabis plant. And both plants contain a full range of chemical compounds including CBD.

Hemp and marijuana have been used for fuel, food and to support health and wellbeing. In traditional Chinese herbalism, for example, hemp was used to help support a balance of what they call yin and yang. And followers of the god Shiva in India imbibe in the marijuana plant to help with their meditative practices.

So…what’s the difference between hemp and marijuana?

Marijuana is often grown to be high in THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), the chemical constituent that imparts a “high” or sort of inebriated feeling. Any product that comes from the marijuana plant is generally only sold in a dispensary in states where they are legal (currently that number is 29 states registering dispensaries).

Conversely, hemp is generally low in THC but high in fiber, seeds and CBD. The fiber from hemp is often used for a wide range of textiles. In fact, the first American flag was made of hemp fiber and today many clothing items, sail boat sails and goods are made with hemp fiber. The seeds are used as food, for hemp seed oil and for their high protein content. And today, you can find hemp-based CBD products in your local retail stores.

Here is a link to a study on Pubmed for more information.

I hope that clears things up!

Yours in health,

Julie Dennis Fox