What is the difference between hemp CBD and marijuana CBD?

CBD public interest and availability have increased lots lately due to its promising health benefits, leading many people to use it to help them with a wide variety of physical and mental problems. But as CBD becomes better known, there is a greater awareness that not all CBD products are manufactured in the same way, and that they are not even necessarily derived from the same type of cannabis plant.

CBD comes from one of two types of cannabis plants: hemp or marijuana. Both belong to the same species, Cannabis sativa, and the two plants look a bit alike. However, there may be substantial variation within a species. After all, the great Danes and the Chihuahuas are dogs, but they have obvious differences.

Thus, CBD products derived from hemp are obtained from industrial hemp plants, which have been cultivated for thousands of years for their fibre and seeds. These plants tend to differ from marijuana plants in appearance; they are thinner, more spiny and have sparse foliage, with a bamboo-like appearance.

Hemp is also distinguished from marijuana by its levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive cannabinoid that makes consumers feel “high”. According to most countries laws, a cannabis plant must not contain more than 0.3% THC for it to be considered hemp.

The marijuana derived CBD is extracted from cannabis plants that are more compact and have thick and lush flowers, which are usually grown and consumed for their euphoric, relaxing and psychoactive properties. Most international laws define marijuana as cannabis plants that contain more than 0.3% THC. And they can contain up to 30% of this cannabinoid.

But while THC is the predominant cannabinoid in most marijuana plants, in recent years the breeders work selection has led to the creation of rich CBD marijuana varieties, up to a percentage of 20-25%, decreasing THC to even below 0.3% THC, which can make these high CBD content marijuana varieties legal as is industrial hemp.

Legal status as the fact of the matter

So a big difference between hemp CBD and marijuana CBD is how the law treats them. As it is, products made from plants that have higher levels of THC are not legal in most countries.

It is important to note that all CBD products must have less than 0.3% THC, so even those made with CBD derived from marijuana must contain less than this amount so they won’t be considered an inspected drugs. However, CBD moves in a legal grey area and in countries where recreational marijuana has been legalised, the list of marijuana products is greatly extended to include CBD with THC content much higher than 0.3%.

That said, whether CBD is extracted from hemp or marijuana, it remains identical at the molecular level and its associated pharmacology is the same. But, despite the identical molecular makeup, there are other factors that differentiate CBD from the two plants.

Resin and cannabinoids

An important aspect to understand is the resin content of each plant. Cannabis resin is found within trichomes and is the hundreds of phytochemicals sticky mixture (including cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, esters, lactones…) which give both the effects and the organoleptic properties we feel when we use cannabis.

Marijuana buds and, to a lesser extent, leaves usually contain large amounts of resin, while hemp plants contain considerably less. It follows that marijuana offers a more abundant source of CBD than hemp. That is, a much larger amount of plant material is needed to extract the same amount of CBD oil from hemp as from marijuana.

CBD isolated compare to full spectrum CBD

In the current cannabis market you can find different products that contain CBD. Patients with certain medical pathologies, or those who wish to avoid THC for its psychoactive effects, may prefer isolated CBD, which contain only the CBD molecule, without terpenes, THC or other cannabinoids that accompany it.

Alternatives to this type of isolated CBD would be, for example, the whole plant CBD oil: the full spectrum CBD oil or the broad spectrum CBD oil, which is an extraction of all components (cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, etc.) of the hemp plant, including low levels of THC.

The difference between them is that “broad spectrum” CBD usually contains at least three other cannabinoids, as well as some terpenes and flavonoids, but does not yet contain THC. “Full spectrum” CBD, also called “whole flower” CBD, is similar to broad spectrum CBD, but can contain up to 0.3% THC.

Another difference between these full-spectrum CBD products is that those that come from marijuana tend to contain a more rich and diverse terpene profile than hemp. And research indicates that full-spectrum CBD, whether extracted from hemp or marijuana, can offer improved therapeutic benefits.

It is what is named ‘entourage effect’, essentially synergy, in terms of results, which has been observed when cannabinoids are combined with other cannabinoids and minor terpenes. The combined effect is more pronounced in combination than in isolation, which helps to prolong or improve overall effects.

What type of CBD is best for medicinal use?

There are diseases that respond only to CBD with varying levels of THC, while others do not require the use of THC. For people who are free to choose their CBD plant source, experts tend to highlight the benefits of choosing whole plant products when possible, whether that plant is hemp or marijuana.

One CBD cannot be said to be more effective than the other. But experts seem to agree that most patients find that having THC, even the 0.3% found in hemp-derived CBD products, is more effective than products with 0% THC. Some researchers claim that equal ratios of CBD to THC turn out to be the most effective, but even a 20:1 ratio of CBD to THC can produce significantly stronger therapeutic effects. So experimenting with CBD derived from hemp and marijuana with different levels of THC and CBD, as long as is legal in your area, may be the key to finding the right product for your needs. It is up to consumers to know the various CBD products offers on the market. And not all products are created in the same way, so understanding the cannabis nomenclature and the difference between the two plants is essential for making well-informed decisions about CBD.