What Is Hemp?

From the Cannabis family of plants, Hemp refers to the non-psychoactive varieties of Cannabis sativa. It is classed as one of the oldest domesticated crops known to man. It has been used for paper, textiles and cordage (cords or ropes) for years. As of recent, it is cultivated for its fibre, hurd and seeds.

Fun fact: The Columbia History of the World states that the oldest relic of the human industry is a scrap of hemp fabric which dates back to around 8,000 BC.

But it is not just only attractive in regards to its uses – Hemp is attractive as a crop for farmers. When growing, Hemp breathes in CO₂, detoxifies the soil and prevents soil erosion; whatever is left after harvest will break down into the soil and provide valuable nutrients. It also requires much less water, and absolutely no pesticides to grow, making it much more environmentally friendly than others.

What Can Hemp Do?

With the low levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Hemp can be used for many different purposes and for various reasons, such as industrial and medicinal uses.

Primarily used for industrial purposes, Hemp can create resources such as paper, clothing, building materials, biofuel, food products, oils and more. It is also a renewable source for raw materials and its seeds and flowers are used in health foods, organic body care and more.

Hemp seed has many uses which can be split into nut, oil and cake. With oils - like fuel, lubricants, paint and cosmetics - being made and the nut for bread, granola and cereals, the seed can be prominent in many different bi-products alone. By sterilising and pressing the seeds into oil, they can be made into shampoos, soap and body lotion also.

The stalk of Hemp can be used for a variety of clothing, construction materials, paper, biofuel and more. From shoes and bags to cardboard and concrete, the fibre in the stalk is said to have more than 25,000 industrial uses.

In regards to the medical side of things, Hemp is said to be helpful as it has non-psychoactive properties – which means it cannot and will not get you ‘high’.

Is Hemp Illegal?

Cannabis sativa is illegal but, when it comes to products that are Hemp and contain no THC, there are exceptions. To grow Hemp in the UK, you will require a growing licence from the Home Office. The UK also do not consider CBD a ‘controlled substance’ and is therefore 100% legal and can be freely distributed.

Thus, Hemp is legal as it contains very little THC and the allowed THC content in the UK is a maximum of 0.2%.

The U.S. imports some Industrial Hemp products and some states allow farmers to grow it. In 2014, President Obama signed a Farm Bill to remove federal barriers to hemp production and define the differences between Marijuana and Industrial Hemp. Then in 2018, the Farm Bill passed the legalisation of cultivating Hemp in the US, by removing Hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, and expanded upon the provisions made in 2014. This resulted in farmers and ranchers being granted permission to produce a high-value crop whilst still being allowed to retain federal farm program benefits.

Hemp vs. Marijuana

Simply put, Hemp and Marijuana are not the same. They are just both a part of the Cannabis family.

Cannabis is a family of plants which is split into Indica and Sativa. Whilst Marijuana can be considered a member of both the Indica or Sativa strains, Hemp is only a part of the Sativa family. As Hemp and Marijuana can both be considered Sativa, they have many similarities but it must be noted that they have distinct and crucial differences.

The main difference between Hemp and Marijuana are their psychoactive ratings. If a chemical is psychoactive, it will have an effect on the brain and will result in the feeling of a ‘high’. Hemp cannot get you high and according to the Ministry of Hemp, “your lungs will fail before your brain attains any high from smoking Industrial Hemp.”

All our CBD products are derived from Hemp. We have a range of products including Oil Drops, Isolates & Terpenes, Vape Liquids, Balms and Edibles.

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