But the word is not the thing. While they both belong to the same plant species, they’ re two distinct varieties.
Cannabis Sativa – This annual herb in the Cannabaceae family has been cultivated for centuries for use as an industrial fibre, seed oil, food, drug, medicine, and spiritual tool. Mostly used for its long fibres, each part of the plant is harvested differently, depending on the purpose of its use. Cannabis Indica – The annual plant of the Cannabaceae family is considered a species of the genus Cannabis, but separate from Cannabis sativa, and originating in the Hindu Kush Mountains and suited for cultivation in temperate climates. Used to induce sleep, the plant is described as relatively short and conical with dense branches and short, broad leaves, while Cannabis sativa is tall with fewer branches and long, narrow leaves. Cannabis Ruderalis – Thought to be a cannabis species originating in central Asia, it flowers earlier, is much smaller, and can withstand much harsher climates than either Cannabis Indica or Cannabis sativa. This species purportedly buds based on age rather than changes in length of daylight, known as auto-flowering. It’ s used primarily for food production, such as hemp seeds and hemp seed oil.
Perhaps the most important difference between hemp and marijuana is that marijuana – no pun intended – has a high delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol content, or THC, which supplies the sought-after psychotropic effect, but it’ s low in cannabidiol content, or CBD, which has medicinal properties. Hemp is just the opposite, being typically high in CBD and low in THC, meaning it’ s not going to get anybody stoned. In fact, clinical studies show that CBD blocks the effect of THC in the nervous system. Both THC and CBD contain cannabinoid, but it’ s the amount that needs to examined, because CBD is currently a Schedule 1 controlled substance. That means that at present, there’ s currently no permissible medical protocol in the US.
The main nutritional sources of hemp come in the seeds and the oil.
Touted as a“ superfood” containing a highly concentrated balance of proteins( less than soybeans, but much higher than wheat, oats, rye, corn, or barley), hemp seeds contain a balanced 1:3 ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids(“ essential” meaning your body can’ t produce it, so it has to come from an outside source). This amounts to more than any fish and most fish oil supplements. They also offer super omega-3 stearidonic acid and super omega-6- gamma-linolenic acid( which the North American diet seriously lacks). Between these compounds, you get reduced inflammation, improved brain function, and lowered blood pressure, cholesterol, stroke, and heart disease risk, as well as increased energy and potential weight loss.
More round, soft, and green than sesame seeds and slightly sweeter than sunflower seeds, hemp seeds can be used to make hemp nut butter with a slight greenish cast from the chlorophyll. The oil has been described as having a pleasantly nutty, slightly bitter taste, and off-yellow to dark green colouring. High in unsaturated fatty acids, it can easily oxidize, so it’ s not recommended for frying or baking.
“ Hemp is of high nutritional quality because it contains high amounts of unsaturated fatty acids … Linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid are the only two fatty acids that must be ingested and are considered essential to human health … In contrast to shorter-chain and more saturated fatty acids, these essential fatty acids do not serve as energy sources, but as raw materials for cell structure and as precursors for biosynthesis for many of the body’ s regulatory biochemicals …”