Hemp 101- The Basics
In 1937, when the Marihuana Tax Act was passed, all things cannabis were made illegal under federal law, this included hemp. In 2018, our government finally released hemp from being a hostage. Hemp is no longer confined and tucked away; the government finally stopped their tomfoolery in this area, and passed the Hemp Farming Act of 2018:
“This bill legalizes industrial hemp that has a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana) concentration of no more than 0.3% by removing it from schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. States and Indian tribes may regulate the production of hemp by submitting a plan to the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The bill also makes hemp producers eligible for the federal crop insurance program and certain USDA research grants.”
The Difference Between Marijuana and Hemp
Many are confused by cannabis/ marijuana/ hemp. Simply put, hemp is cannabis and cannabis is hemp. It’s the same plant, the difference is- THC.
“Hemp and marijuana are, taxonomically speaking, the same plant; they are different names for the same genus (Cannabis) and species.”
Digging a little deeper; marijuana is created by selectively breeding the seeds for THC. Leafly states the following:
