CANNABIS , HEMP , MARIJUANA .
These words get used a lot when people talk about CBD . But what do they actually mean ?
CBD comes from cannabis . Simple , right ? Well , yes . But not just any cannabis .
CBD has done wonders to destigmatise the cannabis plant which had until recently been better known for the narcotic effect of THC .
But it ’ s this association that has shaped the rules around CBD across the globe .
European Industrial Hemp Association ( EIHA ) president , Daniel Kruse , said :
“ This is an historic moment for our industry , for our farmers , for a green future and for all Europeans .
Finally , the EU has a level playing field again with the global industrial hemp sector .”
SATIVA VS . INDICA
The highest concentration of CBD is found within the cannabis flower itself .
But in the UK and EU , CBD can only be extracted from the seeds and stem of approved hemp varieties of the plant , also known as cannabis sativa .
As well as CBD , hemp is used for food , textiles , insulation , biofuel and a lot more .
EU-approved hemp strains contain a maximum of 0.2 percent THC . The EU ’ s THC limit for industrial hemp was lowered from 0.3 percent in 1999 , with experts believing that the higher cap presented a health risk .
It was also hoped that the change would prevent high-THC ‘ marijuana ’ or cannabis indica varieties from being grown in industrial hemp fields .
Hemp and marijuana are both varieties of cannabis , the main distinction being their respective THC content .
ON THE UP ?
In October 2020 , the European Parliament signed off on a proposal to raise the THC limit back to 0.3 percent , in line with the US .
MORE THC = MORE CBD ?
The 0.2 percent THC cap is a problem because the amount of CBD in a plant rises in proportion to its THC content .
European farmers have not had an incentive to grow these higher-THC crops and this has allowed the US to monopolise the market .
If the new act is adopted by the EU , industrial hemp would be redefined , and your CBD could be extracted from higher-THC strains .
SUMMARY
To be legal in the UK and Europe , the CBD in a finished product must come from EU-approved hemp plants , not marijuana .
For now , that means industrial hemp grown from seeds that contain no more than 0.2 percent THC .
This could be set to change in Europe . But at the time of writing , the Home Office has no plans to follow suit in the UK .
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