Not satisfied with the CBD oil you purchased at Lucky’s Vape Shop and Shoe Emporium?
There’s a reason for that. It has nothing to do with Lucky and more to do with hemp.
Although all CBD oil comes from cannabis, CBD oil from hemp has distinctly different properties than marijuana CBD oil you can find at a dispensary.
And the effectiveness of much of the CBD oil from hemp is questionable.
The Hemp vs. Marijuana Difference
CBD, or cannabidiol, is extracted from the flowers and buds of marijuana or hemp plants derived from the cannabis plant. CBD oil from both hemp and marijuana contains only trace amounts of THC and is favored by those who don’t react well (i.e. paralyzing anxiety, panic and paranoia) to it.
Even so, the difference in CBD oils between the two plants seems to be in the way the plants are cultivated.
Hemp is a low-resin, very low-THC Cannabis Sativa plant that’s considered an agricultural crop. It’s grown mostly for its seeds and fiber. As such, growers typically aim for a harvest of tall skinny stalks 10-15 feet in height.
Meanwhile, marijuana is a high-resin, high-THC, high-CBD Cannabis Sativa plant that’s considered a horticulture crop. That’s a scientific way of saying it’s grown for its psychotropic and medicinal qualities. And these are typically found in the flower of female plants. Therefore, plants are encouraged to get luxurious and spread out so they can eventually be hand-harvested, trimmed, dried and cured.
It’s like the difference between a berry farmer and a rose cultivator. Both plants are in the Rosoideae family, but one is grown with the express purpose of creating a fruit crop, while the other is carefully tended to and pampered so the flowers may someday adorn a wedding. Or a funeral.
The Power of Marijuana CBD Oil
When the medical cannabis industry touts the magical benefits of CBD oil, they’re usually talking about medical marijuana CBD.
As it turns out, CBD isn’t the only cannabinoid necessary to elicit the medicinal qualities of marijuana. It also needs to perform biological processes with THC and other cannabinoids.
CBD oil from marijuana continues to demonstrate medicinal qualities for debilitating conditions because these plants are grown and harvested specifically for this purpose.
CBD oil from hemp does not present these same results. Hemp just doesn’t contain enough CBD to have a medicinal effect on the user. Occasionally, some folks even complain of feeling worse.
So Why Does Hemp CBD Oil Even Exist?
We’re not ripping on hemp here. It has a truckload of useful applications.
And it CAN be grown to elicit higher CBD levels through cross-pollination. But the plant can’t be pollinated within its own crop. And the chances of this happening are itty bitty.
Simply put, the creation of hemp CBD is derived from a potent blend of puritanical thinking and capitalism.
Word got out that CBD oil can work wonders. But since marijuana continues to be banned in many places, companies in those places had to find a way to produce CBD oil legally. So they turned to the mighty stalks of industrialized hemp.
A pretty little loop hole in the Controlled Substances Act allowed hemp farmers in some states to grow the plant to produce CBD. But because hemp contains such low levels of CBD, there are concerns about the amount of fillers that may be present in CBD oil from hemp. These alleged fillers could be what make some people feel sick when attempting to use hemp CBD oil as a replacement for marijuana CBD oil.
We can’t say. We’re cannabis marketers, not scientists or doctors. One thing is for certain though:
The Need for Medical Cannabis Legislation Continues
More and more states are moving toward legalizing medical marijuana as people continue to open their eyes to the benefits. Eventually, marijuana CBD oil could be available to everyone.
And it should be.