Hemp, Marijuana, and CBD, explained.
There has been much confusion on the topic of Hemp, Cannabis, and Marijuana, and how they differ. I will try to explain the differences between them, as well as explain the different types of CBD and extracts that can come from Hemp. My goal with this is to educate the reader on what the difference between Hemp and “marijuana” is, how they are both cannabis, and how to choose the best CBD product.
What is Hemp? What is Marijuana?
First of all, Hemp is an arbitrary term created to describe low THC cannabis, hemp and Marijuana are both cannabis, they share most of their genes and makeup, except for one important gene which can be switched on or off to create either CBD or THC. Chemotype is the word used to describe which dominant cannabinoid, THC or CBD, a particular cannabis plant produces. Like Humans, cannabis is diploid, meaning there will be a set of chromosomes from each parent paired together, there is a CBD or THC synthase gene expressed, or “activated”, on each of these chromosomes. If there are two CBD synthase genes expressed together we have a “hemp” plant, if there are two THC synthase genes expressed we have a “marijuana” plant. If there is one of each then it is a mixed chemotype and the plant produces both CBD and THC in relatively similar amounts, this is how 1:1 ratio strains are made.
“Hemp”, generally, means CBD chemotype - each chromosome has an activated CBD synthase gene.
“Marijuana”, generally, means THC chemotype cannabis - each chromosome has an activated THC synthase gene.
What’s important to remember is that “hemp” is an arbitrary term, with most governments using the term to mean different things. In the U.S the term hemp, or now “industrial hemp”, refers to any cannabis plants that contains less than .3% THC dried weight. So it is quite a broad term. Hemp could refer to cannabis that’s grown for fiber and is low in CBD(below 7%), or could be some of the new hybrid hemp strains grown for CBD and be quite high(above 12%).
High CBD content Hemp is being grown now all over the US, where once the concern was imported “chinese junk”, the greater concern now should be false and misleading advertising.
How is Hemp oil made?
While there is a wide variety of oils out there, with each claiming to have their own proprietary delivery method and process, most oils fall into two categories. Those that use CBD Isolate, and those that use broader spectrum hemp extracts. CBD isolate provides relief for some, but some report having to take 10x as much(in milligrams of cbd) to get the same effect as a full or broad spectrum extract oil. CBD isolate oils used to be helpful for those worried about drug testing for employment, but now there are broad spectrum oils with the THC removed so they are not worth one’s money and time given other options. So I will not focus on CBD isolate based hemp oils, as I do not recommend them.
In contrast to CBD isolate blends, full or broad spectrum Hemp/CBD oils offer many other cannabinoids that help CBD work more effectively, even tiny amounts of THC(again, if you are worried about drug testing seek out a zero THC broad spectrum oil). Cannabinoids like CBG, CBN, CBC and many others work together to create what is called “The Entourage Effect”. For example, imagine an orchestra where each instrument represents a different cannabinoid. THC is the electric guitar, often getting the spotlight, CBD can be the piano, and all the other cannabinoids fill out the chamber of instruments, there are over 70+ cannabinoids working together.
Extract from a “marijuana”, or THC chemotype cannabis plant, has all the instruments playing, creating an amazing tune working together as one. Extract from a Hemp, or CBD chemotype cannabis plant, has most of the instruments playing, there isn’t the loud and iconic Electric guitar taking most of the spotlight and grabbing the attention, but the piano blends wonderfully with the orchestra and the symphony can continue. Then, there’s CBD isolate, which is just a piano on stage playing by itself. Sure there are moving recitals, but most are more often moved by the whole experience of the orchestra and not a single instrument. It might take ALOT of that single piano to move someone as much as an entire orchestra. A rough metaphor but perhaps helpful.
How is extract made?
Most extracts are made by washing the plants in a solvent then purging off the solvent, essentially the same way people have been extracting things for centuries. Some of the solvents include: Alcohol, CO2, and various hydrocarbons like Butane and Propane. Many hemp oils use CO2 extraction. The CBD percentage of extracts varies widely, depending on various factors. The biggest factor is whether the hemp strain grown was selected for high cbd, and whether it was a whole plant or flower extraction, rather than just stems and sticks. CBD percentage in Hemp extracts,before being added to a carrier oil for “hemp oil”, ranges from 13% CBD all the way up to 70% CBD. This is why it is VERY important to look at the bottle you’re buying and see whether they are pitching it to you with overall hemp extract weight in milligrams, or CBD weight in milligrams. For instance if a bottle says it contains “1000mg hemp extract”, you’ll have to find out what CBD percentage their extract is before knowing whether it is a good deal at all. If they used stick and stem made extract, clocking in at around 13% CBD, then you’d only be getting 130mg of CBD in that bottle! MOST brands on Amazon and Ebay sell their oils by this method of potency obfuscation. It is deceptive and creates confusion in the market. Even some of the best brands sell their product by overall hemp extract weight without informing the customer as to how much CBD is in the bottle or what percentage CBD their extract is. If it is a very high quality brand doing it you can multiply the overall hemp extract weight by .6 and get a ballpark of the CBD content. Most high quality, high cbd hemp flower extractions come out between 60-65% CBD. So their flower begins say around .3% THC and 12-14% CBD, which then becomes an extract with CBD levels between 60-65% and THC levels between 2-3%. It is THIS extract that is then added to a carrier oil, like MCT or olive oil, to make “hemp oil”.
For THC free broad spectrum oils the extract is put through a secondary process like flash chromatography to remove the THC(it’s an extra process so yes it’s pricier than CBD isolate, but worth it).
So, when looking at a bottle see if it is CBD isolate, or broad spectrum. Then see whether it is labeled by how much CBD is in the bottle, or by how much extract. If it is labeled with overall extract and there is not any indication as to CBD potency, I’d recommend not buying that brand. If they were proud of their extract and potency they would inform the customer. Last time I checked a random vendor on ebay that was selling a “2200mg extract hemp oil bottle” it only calculated out to be ~300mg CBD, I had to email the vendor for the info. If it isn’t stated, it probably is junk or they’re fooling you to have a better markup. Many many brands do this, and it’s a shame. It’s like selling orange juice by how many oranges were used, not by how much liquid is in the bottle. No one cares if someone used 1000 oranges if the bottle is only half full, while someone else might only use 10 oranges and have one brimming available. Labeling according to overall hemp extract rather than CBD content also makes it difficult for customers to dose accurately and at the right level. Many times people are told to try 25mg of CBD(for instance) only to actually only dose with 25mg of hemp extract, not getting any where near the recommended 25mg. They then believe that Hemp oils and CBD does not work for them when in fact they were just misled into underdosing.
What does Hemp look like?
Hemp has two main morphologies, depending whether it comes from years of breeding for fiber or for cannabinoids. In general though, it looks like weed!
credit hempcbd.info for great pics of their Otto 2 and Exclusive Abacus strains
Myths and misconceptions:
-“CBD from marijuana is better than CBD from hemp”
Hogwash, no it’s not. This just shows a basic misunderstanding of how the cannabinoids are produced and what cannabis chemotypes are. Hemp is the best producer of CBD, hands down, and produces all the same pairing cannabinoids as THC chemotype cannabis, or “marijuana” for the entourage effect. If you need or want to take CBD you’ll want to get it from Hemp, anyone that tells you otherwise is not educated on the subject.
-“CBD from Hemp is low quality. CBD is better from CBD flower”
Hogwash. No it’s not. This also shows a basic misunderstanding of what is what. CBD flower IS hemp. The only difference between hemp and marijuana is essentially the .3% THC rule(and years of breeding to change the morphology). The moment a hemp strain runs hot and produces progeny that is .4% THC it could be called “marijuana”.
-”Most Hemp oils use CBD from China”
Hogwash. Not anymore. America is up to its gills in hemp and hemp extracts at the moment, with kilo prices of isolate and crude at all time lows. It behooves no one to import questionable junk. There may still be some brands left but the majority of CBD going around is US grown industrial hemp. The way to make more money now isnt Chinese junk, it’s confusing labeling.
-”CBD stops you from getting high on THC”
This is overstated. CBD helps mitigate the psychoactive effects of THC, it does not “halt” a high. While it may sound like no fun that CBD partially regulates the effects of THC, it has been found in clinical tests that when paired with CBD, THC works much better and there is a larger therapeutic window for its effects before becoming too much to handle. Essentially, more THC can be given for its beneficial effects before one becomes uncomfortable. This is why the THC pill marinol was not very successful, as patients too quickly became uncomfortable under only THC’s effects. Now the medication Sativex combines CBD with THC and it is much better handled by patients. CBD regulates and can lessen a THC high, but don’t rely on it to fully bring you down like an antidote to the experience.
I hope this helps to better understand Cannabis and the various chemotypes available for our benefit. If you’d like to help the cannabis movement please support common sense seed and CBD laws in your state, as well as common sense medical and recreational laws concerning THC chemotype cannabis, or "marijuana".