Hemp oil is cannabidiol, not Marijuana

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People like Rick Simpson will refer to “hemp oil” when they really mean “marijuana oil”.

Marijuana oil contains THC with tiny amounts of CBD. Hemp oil is cannabidiol with only tiny amounts of THC.

Hemp oil is cannabidiol, not Marijuana

The public is very confused about Hemp oil, and the internet and people’s use of terminology is largely to blame.
People like Rick Simpson will refer to “hemp oil” when they really mean “marijuana oil”. Marijuana oil contains THC with tiny amounts of CBD. Hemp oil is cannabidiol with only tiny amounts of THC.

Hemp oil is cannabidiol. But what is cannabidiol?

Like its notorious sister, THC, cannabidiol is a cannabinoid. Did you know that your body produces natural cannabinoids and that there’s a whole system of the body that reacts to these molecules? The theory is that some people haven’t got enough endocannabinoids in their bodies, and by consuming “phytocannabinoids” (cannabinoids from plants), we can get the balance right again.
So far, research into this topic, though extensive, hasn’t progressed far enough to give definite answers on all the things people report cannabinoids as being good for, but it’s difficult not to get excited when one reads personal stories of people who say cannabinoids made a difference to their lives.

Whole plant extract or single ingredients?

Many believe that cannabis, even in the form of hemp will never be used as a “proper” medicine. Here’s why. When scientists test a product, they not only want to know what its effects may be. They also want to know exactly which molecule had what effect. When you throw a whole plant extract into the equation, it gets difficult. Cannabis, whether from hemp or marijuana contains upwards of 480 different molecular ingredients. Which one does the job?
There are some who believe in the “entourage effect”. This phenomenon was first posited by Dr Mechoulam, the man who first identified and isolated THC and CBD. He theorizes that all the ingredients in cannabis may have therapeutic effect, and that by working together, they create a more significant effect than any single extract would.
That’s all well and good, but with THC and CBD still under examination since their identification in the 1960’s, how long is it going to take to research the effects of an additional 478 or more compounds? The mind boggles.

For now, we can at least be sure about this

Hemp oil is cannabidiol when it is combined with a high amount of CBD and a whole bunch of other molecules that may or may not have therapeutic uses, and marijuana oil is THC with a similar soup of potentially beneficial ingredients. Because of the confusion in terminology, we do need to be careful when buying hemp oil, lest we end up with marijuana oil instead. Always check the cannabinoid profile.