If someone mentions medical cannabis to you, does your brain automatically think of marijuana? If so, you are not alone. After years of intense media scrutiny, we have come to believe that cannabis and marijuana are one and the same. They are not, at least technically. Perhaps it’s time to begin differentiating between marijuana and its cannabis cousin, hemp.
While we’re at it, ‘medical cannabis may not be the best term to use anymore. We might be better off talking about THC, CBD, and the other cannabinoids that processors are putting in their medical products. When all is said and done, you’re not really using cannabis unless you are using the actual plant itself.
Hemp and Marijuana Are Both Cannabis
Perhaps we began using the term ‘medical cannabis’ because we wanted to keep marijuana out of the dialog. At any rate, cannabis is a particular type of plant. It has several different species and multiple strains. Guess what? Both hemp and marijuana are cannabis species. They are similar in many respects. The biggest difference is their individual cannabinoid profiles.
Hemp contains very little THC by volume. Its most important cannabinoid for medical purposes is CBD. Marijuana is just the opposite. It has significantly more THC than CBD. Medical cannabis medicines derived from marijuana are THC-based medicines.
Does this make a difference? Absolutely, according to Payson, Utah medical cannabis dispensary Pure Utah. Visit them and you’ll discover that they offer both THC and CBD products. You have to know the difference so that you buy the right medication. If you don’t know, they have a pharmacist on staff to help you.
Plant vs. Plant Extracts
As long as we are clarifying terms, let’s talk about the cannabis plant versus plant extracts. Patients who dry heat marijuana flowers are literally using cannabis. They are using the plant itself. The same goes for people who grind up the flower and add it to their edible recipes. On the other hand, every other medical cannabis product is made using a plant extract rather than the plant itself.
Vaping liquids are made by suspending CBD or THC in a solution of propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin. As a vaper, you’re not really using cannabis; you are using CBD or THC. The same goes for oil concentrates, tinctures, gummies, and topical products.
By referring to all of these things as cannabis, we are muddying the waters. Given how controversial medical cannabis is, it would probably be better to keep the waters as clear as possible.
The Legality Issue
The need to avoid muddy waters is easily observed when you look at the legality of medical cannabis across the country. As things currently stand, thirty-six states and the District of Columbia legally recognize medical cannabis. But when we say that, we are really referring to medical marijuana. Why? Because hemp is not an issue. It hasn’t been for several years now.
Former President Donald Trump signed a law in late 2018 that legalized industrial hemp as a commodity throughout the United States. As a result of that law, it is now completely legal to grow hemp and produce CBD-based products. You can carry them across state lines. You can carry them in your luggage when you fly.
Again, remember that you can go into the Pure Utah medical cannabis pharmacy and buy CBD products. You can also buy them online without possessing a medical cannabis card. This, despite the fact that CBD is derived from cannabis.
It is time to begin differentiating between marijuana and hemp. Including them both under the medical cannabis banner only propagates ignorance and creates confusion.
