CBD - Hemp vs Cannabis

Numerous commercial start-ups and internet retailers have jumped on the CBD bandwagon, touting CBD derived from industrial hemp as the next big thing, a miracle oil that can shrink tumors, quell seizures, and ease chronic pain—without making people feel “stoned.” But along with a growing awareness of cannabidiol as a potential health aid there has been a proliferation of misconceptions about CBD.

In the cannabis world there are two types of plants, broadly categorised — hemp plants and cannabis plants. Hemp plants include plants grown for fibre and grown for seed oil. Cannabis plants include euphoric THC-rich plants and non—euphoric CBD-rich plants. The key difference between hemp plants and cannabis plants is resin content. Hemp plants are low-resin plants. Cannabis plants are high-resin plants.

Industrial hemp varieties are typically a low-resin agricultural crop, grown from pedigree seeds, with about one hundred tall, skinny plants per square meter, machine harvested and manufactured into a multitude of products.

Cannabis plants are a high-resin horticultural crop, typically grown from asexually reproduced Clones, 4 to 5 plants per square meter, hand- harvested, dried, trimmed and cured.

As far as medicinal and recreational cannabis goes, the resin is where the action is. The resin contains THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol), along with dozens of other secondary plant metabolites (primarily other cannabinoids and terpenoids) that augment human brain chemistry and alleviate physiological and psychological distress.

The sticky, gooey cannabis resin is sequestered within the heads of tiny, mushroom-shaped trichomes, found mainly on the plant’s odiferous female flowers (the buds) and to a lesser extent on the leaves. There are also the measly sessile trichomes, which dot the stalk of the hemp plant, but these contain hardly any resin. Non-glandular hairs shaped like tiny inverted commas also cover the plant’s surface.

Among low resin hemp varietals, dioecious oilseed plants (for making nutritional oil, body care and industrial products) have a higher density of trichomes than monoecious fiber hemp plants. Hempseed oil is not the same as CBD-rich oil extracted from the flowers and leaves of the plant. Oil pressed from hempseed contains no CBD, no THC, no plant cannabinoids to speak of, but it’s excellent for making varnish, paint, soap, nutraceuticals, and much more.

Cannabis Not Industrial Hemp: Compared to whole plant cannabis, hemp is typically low in cannabinoid content. A huge amount of hemp is required to extract a small amount of CBD, raising the risk of contaminants because hemp, a bioaccumulator, draws toxins from the soil. The robust terpene profile of whole plant cannabis enhances the therapeutic benefits of CBD and THC.

We recommend CBD rich products made using only whole plant cannabis because this is the best safety profile and has superior health benefits.

Hemp—derived CBD and refined CBD powders lack critical terpenes and secondary cannabinoids found in cannabis oil. These Compounds interact with CBD and THC to enhance their health benefits.

1) “CBD is medical. THC is recreational.” Often people say they are seeking “CBD, the medical part” of the plant, “not THC, the recreational part” that gets you high. Actually, THC, “The High Causer,” has awesome therapeutic properties. Scientists at the Scripps Research Center in San Diego reported that THC inhibits an enzyme implicated in the formation of beta-amyloid plaque, the hallmark of Alzheimer’s-related dementia. The federal government recognizes single-molecule THC (Marinol) as an anti-nausea compound and appetite booster, deeming it a Schedule III drug, a category reserved for medicinal substances with little abuse potential. But whole plant marijuana, the only natural source of THC, continues to be classified as a dangerous Schedule I drug with no medical value.

2) “THC is the bad cannabinoid. CBD is the good cannabinoid.” The drug warrior’s strategic retreat: Give ground on CBD while continuing to demonize THC. Diehard marijuana prohibitionists are exploiting the good news about CBD to further stigmatize high-THC cannabis, casting tetrahydrocannabinol as the bad cannabinoid, whereas CBD is framed as the good cannabinoid. Why? Because CBD doesn’t make you high like THC does.

3) “CBD is most effective without THC.” THC and CBD are the power couple of cannabis compounds—they work best together. Scientific studies have established that CBD and THC interact synergistically to enhance each other’s therapeutic effects. British researchers have shown that CBD potentiates THC’s anti-inflammatory properties in an animal model of colitis. Scientists at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco determined that a combination of CBD and THC has a more potent anti-tumoral effect than either compound alone when tested on brain cancer and breast cancer cell lines. And extensive clinical research has demonstrated that CBD combined with THC is more beneficial for neuropathic pain than either compound as a single molecule.

4) “Single-molecule pharmaceuticals are superior to ‘crude’ whole plant medicinals.” According to the federal government, specific components of the cannabis plant (THC, CBD) have medical value, but the plant itself does not have medical value. Uncle Sam’s single-molecule blinders reflect a cultural and political bias that privileges Big Pharma products. Single-molecule medicine is the predominant corporate way, the FDA-approved way, but it’s not the only way, and it’s not necessarily the optimal way to benefit from cannabis therapeutics. Cannabis contains several hundred compounds, including various flavonoids, aromatic terpenes, and many minor cannabinoids in addition to THC and CBD. Each of these compounds has specific healing attributes, but when combined they create what scientists refer to as a holistic “entourage effect,” so that the therapeutic impact of the whole plant is greater than the sum of its single-molecule parts. The Food and Drug Administration, however, isn’t in the business of approving plants as medicine.

(See the scientific evidence.)

Russo and the Entourage effect Read Now

5) “Psychoactivity is inherently an adverse side effect.” According to politically correct drug war catechism, the cannabis high is an unwanted side effect. Big Pharma is keen on synthesizing medically active cannabis-like molecules that don’t make people high—although it’s not obvious why mild euphoric feelings are intrinsically negative for a sick person or a healthy person, for that matter. In ancient Greece, the word euphoria meant “having health,” a state of well-being. The euphoric qualities of cannabis, far from being an unwholesome side effect, are deeply implicated in the therapeutic value of the plant. “We should be thinking of cannabis as a medicine first,” said Dr. Tod Mikuriya, “that happens to have some psychoactive properties, as many medicines do, rather than as an intoxicant that happens to have a few therapeutic properties on the side.”

6) “CBD is legal in all 50 states and most of the world.” Purveyors of imported, CBD-infused hemp oil claim it’s legal to market their wares anywhere in the as long as the oil contains less than 0.3 percent THC. Actually, it’s not so simple. Federal law prohibits U.S. farmers from growing hemp as a commercial crop, but the sale of imported, low-THC, industrial hemp products is permitted in the United States as long as these products are derived from the seed or stalk of the plant, not from the leaves and flowers. Here’s the catch: Cannabidiol can’t be pressed or extracted from hempseed. CBD can be extracted from the flower, leaves, and, only to a very minor extent, from the stalk of the hemp plant. Hemp oil start-ups lack credibility when they say their CBD comes from hempseed and stalk. Congress may soon vote to exempt industrial hemp and CBD from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act. Such legislation would not be necessary if CBD derived from foreign-grown hemp was already legal throughout the United States.

7 “'CBD-only’ laws adequately serve the patient population.” Fifteen U.S. state legislatures have passed “CBD only” (or, more accurately, “low THC”) laws, and other states are poised to follow suit. Some states restrict the sources of CBD-rich products and specify the diseases for which CBD can be accessed; others do not. Ostensibly these laws allow the use of CBD-infused oil derived from hemp or cannabis that measures less than 0.3 percent THC. But a CBD-rich remedy with little THC doesn’t work for everyone. Parents of epileptic children have found that adding some THC (or THCA, the raw unheated version of THC) helps with seizure control in many instances. For some epileptics, THC-dominant strains are more effective than CBD-rich products. The vast majority of patients are not well served by CBD-only laws. They need access to a broad spectrum of whole plant cannabis remedies, not just the low THC medicine. One size doesn’t fit all with respect to cannabis therapeutics, and neither does one compound or one product or one strain.

8 “CBD is CBD—It doesn’t matter where it comes from.” Yes it does matter. The flower-tops and leaves of some industrial hemp strains may be a viable source of CBD (legal issues notwithstanding), but hemp is by no means an optimal source of cannabidiol. Industrial hemp typically contains far less cannabidiol than CBD-rich cannabis. Huge amounts of industrial hemp are required to extract a small amount of CBD, thereby raising the risk of toxic contaminants because hemp is a “bio-accumulator” that draws heavy metals from the soil. Single-molecule CBD synthesized in a lab or extracted and refined from industrial hemp lacks critical medicinal terpenes and secondary cannabinoids found in cannabis strains. These compounds interact with CBD and THC to enhance their therapeutic benefits.

Hemp and „kemp‟: a centuries-long history

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is an ancient crop. We know with certainty that hemp was already used during the sixteenth century BC. The ancient Egyptians used the plant to produce rope and cosmetics. In the 5th century BC Herodotus described the use of hemp by the Greeks in high quality textiles. In China, 4,500 years ago, hemp was already cultivated as a textile fibre: they carefully monitored the growth, harvest and processing, which enabled them to improve the techniques. The fibres were used for paper and textiles, and the seeds as food and for medicinal use. From there it probably spread via nomadic people to the Middle East, the Mediterranean and further into Europe (Mercuri et al., 2002). Long before our era the crop was grown worldwide. From 600 AD onwards the Germanic-, Frankish people and the Vikings produced rope, canvas and clothing using hemp fibre. During the following centuries the seeds and their extracted oil were used widespread across Europe for the treatment of skin and respiratory diseases, jaundice and colic (Bouby, 2002).

In the Middle Ages the cultivation spread throughout most of Europe: each farm harvested enough „kemp’ itself for the turning of rope and reins, „kemp‟ oil was also a much sought after product, whilst the „kemp cuttings‟ were very useful if one had to make fire or produce light. Many farms owned a „kemp’ shed. In those days most people walked on hemp sandals. The first ships that sailed across the oceans were equipped with sails and rope made from woven and braided hemp fibre. The word canvas, derived from the French „chanvre‟, meaning cannabis, dates from the 16th century, when hemp first found widespread application.

The Golden Age of the Low Countries was also the golden age of hemp. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was only too happy to promote the cultivation of hemp plants, because in those days hemp, besides wood, constituted the most important shipbuilding material. The merchant fleet required large quantities of hemp: every part of the ship not made out of wood, consisted of hemp. Hemp sails and hemp rope are extremely strong and withstand the influence of salt water and mildew. Even maps, logbooks, bibles and directions were printed on hemp paper, which is a hundred times stronger than the hitherto used papyrus preparations. Historians reckon that up until 1883 75% to 90% of all paper was made from hemp fibre, and prior to the emergence of the petrochemical industry hemp oil formed the basis for paints, oils, varnishes and adhesives.

The first immigrants on the American continent brought the hemp plants with them from Europe, and hemp cultivation became one of the driving forces of the „young‟ America. Jeans made from hemp were worn by cowboys who also used hemp lassos. The fibres were not only used for textiles and rope. In the timber mills they were ground into a pulp and made into paper. In 1935 some 55 million kilos of hemp seed were imported into America. Around 1900, Rudolf Diesel used hemp oil to run the prototype of his engine. Around 1920, Henry Ford presented a car of which 70% of the body contained hemp fibre, sisal and straw (West, 1995).

The demise of hemp

The production of hemp fibre was a difficult and laborious process. The lack of mechanisation and the rise of alternatives, such as jute and wood pulp, reduced the importance of hemp cultivation in the 18th century. By the early 20th century, partly because of the emerging slavery, hemp was displaced by cheaper imported fibres such as cotton and later on by synthetic fibres (nylon). In the 1930‟s – especially by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics - an intensifying campaign was launched against marihuana, a drug linked with crime, violent behaviour and insanity (“reefer madness”), and ascribed to Mexican immigrants. Simultaneously the economic competitors of hemp fibres lobbied intensively against the hemp cultivation. One of the most important being the chemical company DuPont, which in 1937 brought artificial fibre on the market and received a patent for nylon. Both the demonization of the „Mexican‟ drug marihuana and the lobbying campaign by economic competitors, ultimately lead to the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. This law did not comprise a total ban, but imposed strict regulations on the producers and distributors, as well as putting on high taxes. The industrial varieties of Cannabis sativa L. were increasingly lumped together with the marihuana plants, and the reputation as “a drug plant” brought the hemp industry to ruin (West, 1995).

During World War II hemp was briefly reinstated, the strong fibre was highly welcomed by the war industry. Canvas was extremely well suited for uniforms, parachutes, awnings and tarpaulins. Furthermore, the import of cotton, sisal and jute from the former colonies more or less ground to a halt. As the global hemp market threatened to collapse due to the Japanese conquests in Asia, the American farmers were urged to cultivate hemp by using a propaganda campaign (Kolosov, 2009).

After the war, hemp was banned in the United States, in favour of the petrochemical industry, the cheap textile trade and the timber lobby. In many countries, to this day, a farming ban exists (Vibe, 2008), which originated from the fight against drugs. It wasn‟t until 1992 that European regulations once again gave the green light to industrial hemp cultivation.

The hemp revival: environmentally friendly and versatile crop

For several years now industrial hemp farming has regained a lot of interest, because of its environmentally friendly production and its great versatility (Danckaert et al., 2006). From an agricultural and biological perspective, hemp is very interesting, as it is easy to keep the hemp plot weed-free due to the rapid growth of the crop. The deep root system is beneficial to the soil and makes cultivation possible under relatively dry conditions. The cultivation requires only limited fertilisation and has adapted to many climates. Apart from birds, which eat the sowing seeds, pests and disease are virtually absent (Snauwaert & Ghekiere, 2010).

The fibre, shives, hemp-dust and seed have innumerable applications. Hemp fibres can be used in processing textiles. The fibre is stronger than cotton, produces better insulation, is more wear-proof, is not affected by insects or mite and is biodegradable. Hemp fibre is also better at absorbing moisture, such as sweat, which provides greater comfort. Hemp fibres have always been used to make different types of paper (bible paper, cigarette paper, bank notes, etc.) or as reinforcement for recycled paper (Institut du Chanvre, 2010). To this day, the paper industry is still the largest market for hemp (Baudoin, 2004). In addition, hemp fibres can also be used in technical applications: for the production of insulation wool, thermal blankets, non-woven mats or felt fabrics, geotextiles and fibre reinforcing composites (Bouloc, 2006; Munoz, 2007). In the car sector hemp is increasingly used for moulded parts produced via injection moulding: door panels, dashboards, ...

The woody material around the pith of the stem is called hemp shives. Hemp shives have a very low density as well as good sound and thermal insulating properties. Shives are used for the production of hempcrete - a concrete mix of lime and hemp - and plywood (Interreg IIIA-project Euroregio Rijn-Waal, 2007). The shives are already used as high quality bedding for small pets and horses, especially for those with an allergy to other types of straw. Hemp shives are also suitable as bedding for chickens due to the high absorption capacity, thus reducing the odour nuisance. Thanks to the strong absorption of hemp shives they are ideal as a groundcover in the garden, vineyard, orchard, vegetable plot, etc.

Traditionally, whole hemp seed is used as bird food and fishing bait. In that case it is usually called „kemp seed‟ (Institut du Chanvre, 2010). However, the healthy highly nutritious seed is also fit for human consumption: it contains all the essential amino acids and fatty acids needed for a balanced diet. Shelled hemp seed can be used as a basis for all kinds of foods such as bread, pastry, pasta, milk, etc. The oil in the seed is claimed to improve the blood circulation and has low cholesterol content. The protein-rich seeds or press cake can also be used to feed livestock. Due to its dry matter yield and extremely fast growth, hemp is suitable as energy crop (biomass). In some circumstances, hemp is deliberately chosen for cultivation, without loss of return, on contaminated soils, as it can easily grow there and purify it by absorbing heavy metals. This causes no health risks and all parts of the plant can still be used, except in heavily polluted soil, where the fibres for textiles may exceed the permitted values (Angelova et.al., 2004).

Industrial hemp expressed in figures

The various parts of the plant are harvested and processed throughout the world. But where in Europe the focus tends to lie on the production of hemp straw (especially for the production of technical fibres) with the seed as a mere by- product, in Canada the crop is primarily cultivated for its seed and the oil extracted from it (Karus & Vogt, 2004). Most applications in the textile sector one finds in Asia (China). In the U.S., the cultivation of industrial hemp is still prohibited, though heavy lobbying is taking place to lift this ban. In Canada the cultivation is legal and their largest market is the U.S.A. An increasing interest in hemp currently exists in many industrialised countries.

In several European countries, approximately 15-16,000 hectares of industrial hemp is cultivated, of which 9,000 ha in France, 1,000 ha in The Netherlands, 1,800 ha in the UK, 1,200 ha in Germany, 800 ha in Spain and 500 ha in Italy.

Legislation regarding industrial cannabis cultivation

The United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 explicitly states that the international treaty on drug control does not apply to the cultivation of cannabis for industrial purposes (seed and fibre) (Article 28, §2).

At European level, many regulations exist regarding legal hemp cultivation. On the one hand they regulate European subsidies for producers and processors of fibre-hemp: to support the cultivation and promote its application, Europe pays up to € 300 per hectare. The processor receives € 90 per tonne of hemp fibre. On the other hand, European regulations govern the mandatory monitoring of fibre hemp:

According to European regulations, industrial hemp may contain no more than 0.3% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). In several European countries (e.g. Belgium and the Netherlands), a maximum THC content of 0.2% is allowed. Under the European regulations, only the following varieties are allowed.

Armanca - Asso - Beniko - Bialobrzeskie - Cannakomp - Carma - Carmagnola - Chamaeleon - Codimono - CS - Delta-405 - Delta-llosa - Denise - Dioica 88

Epsilon 68 - Fedora 17 - Fédrina 74 - Felina 32 - Félina 34 - Ferimon - Férimon 12 - Fibranova - Fibrimor - Fibrol - Finola - Futura 75 - Futura 77 - KC Dora

Kompolti - Kompolti hibrid TC - Lipko - Lovrin 110 - Monoica - Red petiole - Santhica 23 - Santhica 27 - Santhica 70 - Silesia - Silvana - Szarvasi

Tiborszallasi - Tisza - Tygra - Uniko B - Uso-31 - Wielkopski - Zenit

Industrial hemp versus marihuana as an intoxicant

To the untrained eye, industrial hemp and marihuana look rather similar, and in the past a few legal hemp plantations were mistakenly taken for illegal marihuana, e.g. in The Netherlands. Police were already clearing the hemp when the owners of the fields arrived with the appropriate permits. The farmers (in one case it concerned experimental fields of Wageningen University) considered recovering the damage. This shows the importance of pointing out a few important differences.

Both industrial hemp and marihuana are classified as Cannabis sativa, a plant species with hundreds of varieties. Cannabis plants contain more than 400 molecules, and about 70 of these are exclusively found in Cannabis sativa, the so- called cannabinoids. The two most important cannabinoids are delta9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive component, and cannabidiol (CBD), an anti-psychoactive ingredient. Industrial hemp species are cultivated ensuring maximum production of fibre, seed and/or oil, while marihuana plants need to contain especially high levels of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component of the plant.

Industrial hemp varieties have a low THC content (between 0.05 and 1%) and a high cannabidiol (CBD) content. The ratio of CBD to THC is greater than one. Marihuana has a THC content from 3 to 20%. The ratio of CBD compared to THC is less than one (West, 1998).

That means, amongst other things, that industrial hemp cannot be smoked as an intoxicant: the THC content is too low, and the high content of CBD, an anti- psychoactive ingredient, blocks any “high”. One might merely end up with a terrible headache. For this reason, industrial hemp is sometimes referred to as „anti-marihuana‟. Most experienced cannabis users are aware of this. It is also practically impossible to extract THC from industrial hemp in order to produce a “drug”: the procedures for this are so expensive, dangerous and time consuming that no user would attempt it.

To the untrained eye, industrial hemp and marihuana look rather similar, but there are differences. Industrial hemp is planted close together, for maximum yield. Moreover, these varieties are generally harvested before they come into flower and produce seed. Marihuana growers are primarily interested in the flower heads of their plants, and so harvesting usually takes place at a later stage. Incidentally marihuana generates more branches and flowers when the plants are grown further apart. These plants therefore need more light and space. Marihuana plants can have as many branches as a Christmas tree, while industrial hemp plants have only a few. Fibre plants have a hollower stem at the inter-nodes, because they put more energy into the production of fibres

Another characteristic to help differentiate between the two varieties, is the fact that the flower heads of industrial hemp are not sticky and do not contain THC- crystals. These THC-crystals are visible with the naked eye or with use of a weak magnifying glass (10x).

At first glance it may seem suspicious to find an industrial hemp field surrounded by cornfields, but it need not be. Cornfields can consciously be used as a shield to prevent pollen from one field inadvertently end up on another.

Finally, it should be noted that each plot of industrial hemp should be registered with the government , and be monitored. It is unlikely that marihuana growers will hide their plants in a field that is likely to be checked out.

Lastly we note that nowadays in many countries (especially European countries) large- scale open air marihuana plantations rarely occur: professional criminal entrepreneurs, engaged in the cultivation of illegal cannabis, tend to set up indoor plantations, as large plantations in nature would easily be detected (by police and thieves). Amateur hobby growers do sometimes have plants in their garden or conservatory (outdoor), but in such cases it invariably concerns very small quantities.

Side effects Hemp.

Seems to affect especially the urinary, sexual, and respiratory organs. It has characteristic sensations as of dropping water. Great fatigue, as from over-exertion; weary after meals. Choking in swallowing; things go down the wrong way. Stuttering. Confusion of thought and speech. Wavering speech, hasty, incoherent.

Head.--Lectophobia. Vertigo; sensation of dropping water on head. Pressure on root of nose.

Eyes.--Opacity of cornea. Cataract from nervous disturbances, abuse of alcohol and tobacco; patient feels deeply approaching blindness. Misty sight. Pressure from back of eyes, forward. Gonorrhoeal ophthalmia. Eyeballs ache. Scrofulous eye troubles (Sulph; Calc).

Urine.--Retained, with obstinate constipation. Painful urging. Micturition in split stream. Stitches in urethra. Inflamed sensation, with soreness to touch. Burning while urinating, extending to bladder. Urine scalding, with spasmodic closure of sphincter. Gonorrhoea, acute stage; urethra very sensitive. Walks with legs apart. Dragging in testicles. Zigzag pain along urethra. Sexual overexcitement. Urethral caruncle (Eucalypt), phimosis. Stoppage of urethra by mucus and pus.

Female.--Amenorrhoea when physical powers have been overtaxed, also with constipation.

Respiratory.--Oppression of breathing and palpitation; must stand up. Weight on chest; rattling wheezing breathing. Cough, with green viscid, also bloody, expectoration.

Heart.--Sensation as if drops were falling from the heart. Painful strokes and tension with palpitation. Pericarditis.

Sleep.--Frightful dreams. More tired in morning. Sleepy during day.

Extremities.--Contraction of fingers after a sprain. Dislocation of patella on going upstairs. Feet feel heavy on going upstairs. Paralytic tearing pains. Affections of the ball of the foot and under part of toes.

Modalities.--Worse, lying down; going upstairs.

Relationship.--Antidotes: Camph; Lemon juice. Compare: Hedysarum-Brazilian Burdock-(Gonorrhoea and inflammation of penis); Canth; Apis; Copaiva; Thuj; Kal nit.

HEMP A NEW CROP

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