Cannabis? CBD oil? Hemp? Can someone explain the difference?
Words: Sarah Tarca // @tarca
Image: Robert Nelson / Unsplash
Remember when “hemp” was just something that fisherman’s pants were made of? You’d maybe pick up from your local Off Ya Tree with alongside a poster of Bob Marley for your bedroom wall, and maybe a canvas bag with a marijuana leaf on it if you were the wild, rebellious type. And remember how “cannabis” was only what old people, or terribly uncool people, or terribly uncool old people would call it, because anyone with street cred knew it was weed or grass, or pot.
Yeah. The times, they have a changed. Now we’re putting hemp seeds in smoothies, smothering our faces with CBD-infused beauty products, and drinking gin and vodka made from hemp. And, if we follow California’s lead, we may even see cannabis legalised in this lifetime.
But, at the risk of sounding like one of those terribly uncool old people, I had no idea what the difference between cannabis/ cbd oil/ marijuana/ hemp was, except that hemp in its various forms were legal. So I asked someone who does know: Rhys Staley. Rhys is the general manager of Montu, a privately owner Australian based medicinal cannabis company, and also the co-founder of hemp-based spirits company, The Natural Distilling Co. Here’s what he had to say about the difference between hemp, cannabis, CBD and Marijuana.
HEMP
Hemp is technically cannabis sativa. It’s a low THC (the psychoactive molecule that has made recreational cannabis famous) so possesses all the health benefits of the plant but none of the high. Hemp has been used by man for 10,000 years for a variety of reasons and is a safe ingredient for consumption.
One of the biggest misconceptions that people make is that hemp is Marijuana. The fact is, hemp and Marijuana are two different types of cannabis. That means that yes, they’re member of the same species, but no, they are not the same thing, nor the same plant. The key difference is their THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) content.
marijuana
Marijuana is a dirty word in the medicinal cannabis industry. It’s the nickname for strains of cannabis that contain higher ratios of THC and provide a psychoactive effect that recreational cannabis is known for. We are all working hard to distance nutritional and medicinal cannabis products from recreational because patients shouldn’t miss out on access due to an outdated and scientifically unbalanced stigma.
CBD / Cannabidiol
CBD or cannabidiol is a powerful organic molecule found in cannabis. CBD works by interacting with our body's endocannabinoid system. These endocannabinoids, as they're called, work like neurotransmitters, shuttling messages through the body to help maintain homeostasis. CBD is a powerful anti-inflammatory and can also provide pain relief. The oil itself comes from the cannabis leaf, the stalk and the flowers, however is not the same as Hemp seed oil. Sure, they both come from the same plant, but the difference is that are two totally different solutions. They are derived from different parts of the hemp plant and have different benefits.
CBD oil has been hailed for its potential role in easing symptoms of many common health issues, including anxiety, depression, acne, inflammation and heart disease. Since 2016 the Australian Government legalised the use of CBD oil for medical purposes, which means it is available, but under special access. That means you need to visit your doctor who will get special approval from the department of health to prescribe it to you.