- 08/03/2021 -
Cannabis vs. Hemp: What’s the Difference?
When considering the difference between cannabis and hemp, we can’t help but lean on our own experiences. Based on where we’ve seen products for sale as well as how they’re labelled, we begin to form a general understanding of them. With the information that’s out there, we might assume that cannabis is used to make the stuff that gets you high while hemp is used to make the stuff that doesn’t. And for the most part, you’d be right.
Generally speaking, hemp is used in the production of a variety of products while cannabis is grown for its cannabinoid content. And while hemp products can be purchased almost anywhere, cannabis products are typically purchased from licensed cannabis retailers. While it’s easy to see where our assumptions come from, there’s a little more to the story. So, what is the difference between cannabis and hemp? It depends on who you ask.
Canadian Regulations
The Cannabis Act classifies hemp as ‘cannabis with less than 0.3% THC.’ This was to help separate Canada’s existing hemp industry from the newly regulated cannabis industry. While both industries are regulated by the Cannabis Act, an industrial hemp license remains considerably more accessible than a cannabis cultivation license. Cannabis does tend to have a higher cannabinoid content than hemp but characteristics like shape, size, and smell have much more to do with plant genetics and cultivation practices than regulations.
Botanical Classifications
From a botanical perspective, classifying plants as either hemp or cannabis isn’t completely accurate. These are terms that have been adopted by regulatory bodies but don’t fully align with the language used by plant experts. While these categories can be useful, they leave out important details.
Cannabis is a plant genus, a classification for different plant types within the same family. This class can be broken down further into cannabis sativa, cannabis indicia, and cannabis ruderalis. Plants containing less than 0.3% THC can come from any of these types. Through this lens, hemp is simply a specific cultivar bred to minimize THC content.
Classifications aside, if you asked a botanist about the difference between hemp and cannabis, they might focus on resin content. Cannabinoids like THC and CBD are found within the sticky plant resin, most of which is located in the plant’s flowering buds. These chemicals work with our endocannabinoid (ECS) system to supports our body’s health and homeostasis, bringing you back to your baseline. Generally speaking, cannabis plants are high in resin while hemp plants are much lower. However, as the craft hemp industry continues to grow, we can expect to see more high-resin plants with less than 0.3% THC.
CBD Products
As it turns out, cannabinoids are molecules and remain the same regardless of whether they’re made from cannabis or hemp. So why is 0.3% THC such an important point of differentiation? In all likelihood, it isn’t. The number came from a 1976 taxonomic report and was never meant to be used as a legal distinction. Nevertheless, that’s exactly what happened. Even the author of the report, Dr. Small, has said that the number is arbitrary, based more around genetic patterns and less about how much THC content can produce intoxicating effects.
In the case of CBD products, the real difference between cannabis and hemp is in the cost of production. Industrial hemp licenses are more accessible. Outdoor cultivation also has a much lower cost than indoor or greenhouse cultivation. As a result, high-quality, high-CBD hemp can be mass-produced at a relatively low cost compared to cannabis. This leads to a lower cost of goods and eventually lower prices for consumers. And we think that matters.
As of right now, however, it’s more common within Canada that cannabis is used for CBD extraction, not hemp. While this may make sense for now, as farming practices continue to evolve, we predict that we’ll begin to see more hemp derived CBD in the future.
TL;DR
The difference between cannabis and hemp ultimately depends on who you ask. According to Health Canada regulations, hemp is cannabis with less than 0.3% THC, but this doesn’t align with the language used by plant experts. From a botanist perspective, both hemp and cannabis are essentially the same. While CBD can be extracted from either cannabis or hemp, the cost of production is much lower when using hemp. As it applies to LoFi, hemp-derived CBD makes for more affordable CBD products.
- 08/03/2021 -
Cannabis vs. Hemp: What’s the Difference?
When considering the difference between cannabis and hemp, we can’t help but lean on our own experiences. Based on where we’ve seen products for sale as well as how they’re labelled, we begin to form a general understanding of them. With the information that’s out there, we might assume that cannabis is used to make the stuff that gets you high while hemp is used to make the stuff that doesn’t. And for the most part, you’d be right.
Generally speaking, hemp is used in the production of a variety of products while cannabis is grown for its cannabinoid content. And while hemp products can be purchased almost anywhere, cannabis products are typically purchased from licensed cannabis retailers. While it’s easy to see where our assumptions come from, there’s a little more to the story. So, what is the difference between cannabis and hemp? It depends on who you ask.
Canadian Regulations
The Cannabis Act classifies hemp as ‘cannabis with less than 0.3% THC.’ This was to help separate Canada’s existing hemp industry from the newly regulated cannabis industry. While both industries are regulated by the Cannabis Act, an industrial hemp license remains considerably more accessible than a cannabis cultivation license. Cannabis does tend to have a higher cannabinoid content than hemp but characteristics like shape, size, and smell have much more to do with plant genetics and cultivation practices than regulations.
Botanical Classifications
From a botanical perspective, classifying plants as either hemp or cannabis isn’t completely accurate. These are terms that have been adopted by regulatory bodies but don’t fully align with the language used by plant experts. While these categories can be useful, they leave out important details.
Cannabis is a plant genus, a classification for different plant types within the same family. This class can be broken down further into cannabis sativa, cannabis indicia, and cannabis ruderalis. Plants containing less than 0.3% THC can come from any of these types. Through this lens, hemp is simply a specific cultivar bred to minimize THC content.
Classifications aside, if you asked a botanist about the difference between hemp and cannabis, they might focus on resin content. Cannabinoids like THC and CBD are found within the sticky plant resin, most of which is located in the plant’s flowering buds. These chemicals work with our endocannabinoid (ECS) system to supports our body’s health and homeostasis, bringing you back to your baseline. Generally speaking, cannabis plants are high in resin while hemp plants are much lower. However, as the craft hemp industry continues to grow, we can expect to see more high-resin plants with less than 0.3% THC.
CBD Products
As it turns out, cannabinoids are molecules and remain the same regardless of whether they’re made from cannabis or hemp. So why is 0.3% THC such an important point of differentiation? In all likelihood, it isn’t. The number came from a 1976 taxonomic report and was never meant to be used as a legal distinction. Nevertheless, that’s exactly what happened. Even the author of the report, Dr. Small, has said that the number is arbitrary, based more around genetic patterns and less about how much THC content can produce intoxicating effects.
In the case of CBD products, the real difference between cannabis and hemp is in the cost of production. Industrial hemp licenses are more accessible. Outdoor cultivation also has a much lower cost than indoor or greenhouse cultivation. As a result, high-quality, high-CBD hemp can be mass-produced at a relatively low cost compared to cannabis. This leads to a lower cost of goods and eventually lower prices for consumers. And we think that matters.
As of right now, however, it’s more common within Canada that cannabis is used for CBD extraction, not hemp. While this may make sense for now, as farming practices continue to evolve, we predict that we’ll begin to see more hemp derived CBD in the future.
TL;DR
The difference between cannabis and hemp ultimately depends on who you ask. According to Health Canada regulations, hemp is cannabis with less than 0.3% THC, but this doesn’t align with the language used by plant experts. From a botanist perspective, both hemp and cannabis are essentially the same. While CBD can be extracted from either cannabis or hemp, the cost of production is much lower when using hemp. As it applies to LoFi, hemp-derived CBD makes for more affordable CBD products.
