CBD is commonly associated with cannabis, but most CBD products are actually extracted from hemp plants.
There are many similarities between the hemp and cannabis plants, and there are also some important differences. As a result, the hemp CBD vs cannabis CBD question tends to pop up from time to time. Surprisingly though, the CBD extracted from both is exactly the same on a molecular level.
Hemp & Cannabis
While both plants contain cannabinoids like THC and CBD, hemp and cannabis are different plants. In technical terms, hemp is just one variety of the cannabis sativa plant, while cannabis is typically broken down into three species: cannabis sativa, cannabis indica, and cannabis ruderalis.
There are some pretty significant differences between these two plants. For starters, hemp contains much less THC than cannabis – usually less than 0.3%. Additionally, hemp plants tend to be tall and skinny with skimpy foliage, while cannabis plants are typically thicker, bushier, and shorter. Hemp plants are also usually used in the production of textiles, paper, and foods, whereas cannabis is only used for recreational or medicinal purposes.
Hemp CBD vs Cannabis CBD
The difference between hemp CBD and cannabis CBD is that one is derived from hemp and the other from cannabis. However, the CBD molecule is the same no matter where it is derived from. Hemp-derived CBD is in no way different from cannabis-derived CBD.
Despite this, there are still some differences regarding the CBD content of these plants, the purity of these plants, and the legality of these plants.
Cannabis Plants Produce More CBD
The advantage of cannabis CBD is that while hemp plants typically contain small amounts of CBD, certain cannabis plants can contain much more. While high-quality hemp plants usually contain about 10% CBD, some high-CBD strains can contain more than double that amount. Although, some craft hemp varieties can be an exception to this rule.
But this is only advantageous to those who smoke, vape, or ingest high-CBD cannabis flower. For the vast majority of CBD consumers who enjoy CBD in some form of extract, the CBD content of a hemp or cannabis plant shouldn’t matter at all.
Cannabis-Derived CBD Products May Be Purer
Hemp is known to be a bioaccumulator due to its exceptional ability to suck up whatever it finds in the dirt. This means that industrial hemp grown in questionable conditions may be absorbing chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals, and other toxins.
As such, it’s important that the hemp that is used to extract CBD is grown in clean conditions. Many CBD producers take care to ensure that their products are produced from good, clean hemp plants. Buying your CBD products from trusted brands that provide lab reports or growing information for their products is always a good idea.
The Legality of Hemp & Cannabis
There are also important legal differences to be aware of between hemp and cannabis. In order to be federally legal, plants must contain less than 0.3% THC content. The Hemp Farming Act of 2018 legalized hemp under 0.3% as an agricultural commodity. As such, industrial hemp plants have been legalized, while cannabis plants remain illegal. However, this really does not affect the CBD extracted from these plants in any way.
Bottom Line – when it comes to hemp CBD vs cannabis CBD, there is really no difference. While there may be differences between the two plants, CBD is still CBD, regardless of where it comes from.
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