The terms Hemp, Cannabis and Marijuana tend to get used interchangeably and can be confusing to many people unfamiliar with the plant. The fact is that hemp and 'marijuana' are both Cannabis (more specifically Cannabis Sativa). What makes hemp different is it's seeds, stalk and more importantly, the levels of THC in the plant. THC, or Tetrahydrocannabinol, is the phytocannabinoid in Cannabis that is well known for it's psychoactive properties when heated or smoked. THC is the most prevalent phytocannabinoid in the marijuana plant. Unlike marijuana, Hemp is naturally LOW in THC - less than .05%. Although many states are legalizing medical cannabis with high THC for it's beneficial healing properties, federal law prohibits it's use. Medical marijuana states are in direct violation of federal laws, but remain committed to their medical marijuana programs that are helping so many deal with cancers, epilepsy, and hundreds of other ailments. Hemp, on the other hand is 100% LEGAL. Why? Because it's level of THC is naturally low and acceptable by federal law. The benefit of legal Hemp is it's naturally high levels of CBD - Cannabidiol. Cannabidiol, or CBD, has become increasingly popular in the news over the past year plus. Dr Sanjay Gupta's documentary "Weeds" highlighted the case of Charlotte Figi - a young girl with severe epilepsy. Charlotte was having up to 300 grand mal seizures in a week. The doctors had no options for Charlotte's parents. The Figi's then turned to medical marijuana that was high in CBD. The CBD changed her life. Today she is a 7 year old girl with only 2-3 seizures a month. Her parents attribute this miracle to a high CBD strain of marijuana now called "Charlotte's Web". Due to Dr Gupta's documentary feating Charlottes, hundreds of parents are flocking to Colorado to obtain Charlottes Web. What these parents, and so many others, do not know is that CBD can be legally obtained in the same concentrations from the Hemp plant! No need to move to Colorado - no need to change your life around. Hemp is here, and it is legal. The CBD from hemp is derived via a supercritical CO2 extraction process from organically grown hemp crops in Europe (hemp is only now becoming legal to grow in the USA). The raw product is shipped to the US, where it is inspected, taxed, and processed. From there, herbalists and engineers in the hemp oil industry create their own proprietary blends of oils. These oils are refined, re-tested and formulated into specific products. There are CBD rich Vape Oils (oil that can be used in a vape pen or e-cig), CBD rich oral Oils (thicker oils to be ingested), edibles (YUM!) and many more. These hemp products are highly effective in the relief of stress, anxiety, pain, inflammation and so much more. If you want to know more about Hemp and Cannabidiol, just do a search on Google. You will see thousands of articles on this phenomenal phytocannabinoid and it's amazing healing properties.
This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.
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