The Basics: What’s the difference between cannabis, marijuana, weed, and hemp?

Are you as confused as we are about the difference between cannabis, marijuana, weed, and hemp? Not sure which terms to use and when? Don’t worry, we’ve been there and we've got you covered.

Cannabis (the umbrella term for marijuana and hemp)

Cannabis is the scientific name given to the group of three plants with psychoactive properties, known as Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. Cannabis plants produce more than 483 known compounds, know as cannabinoids. Two of the most well known cannabinoids are CBD and THC. You can find cannabis products that contain just CBD, THC, or a combination of both.

The word cannabis is often used interchangeably with terms like pot or weed. Some prefer to use the word cannabis as it can be seen as softer and less intimidating. Essentially, when someone uses the word cannabis, they could be referencing either hemp or marijuana, which is why it’s so confusing to us newbies!

Words matter.

The legal cannabis industry needs to reconcile with the damaging past of prohibition and the implications that the war on drugs has on minority communities. Marijuana is a nickname for cannabis and the roots of the nickname are complicated and many consider the term to be born from racism. In the 1930s, the scientific term, cannabis, was largely replaced with marijuana to sound more sinister and foreign and build support for drug laws in the United States. Today, we are seeing a shift back to using the word cannabis. Interested in a deeper dive on the history of the term, marijuana? Check out a great summary here.

Hemp (a high-CBD variety of cannabis plant)

Hemp plants are a variety of the Cannabis sativa species and have several industrial purposes. In the United States, the “Farm Bill” was signed into law in December of 2018. This law removed hemp, defined as cannabis and derivatives of the cannabis plant with low concentrations of THC, from the definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act. This essentially opened the door for the growth, sale, and production of hemp and hemp products that extract cannabinoids or CBD oils from the plant. Hemp can produce CBD in high concentrations and when CBD has less than .03% of THC, it means that there are no psychoactive effects so you can’t “get high” from it. This bill is the reason that you see CBD products for sale all over the place!

So, CBD is legal?

Kind of. The Farm Bill made hemp-derived CBD, with less than .03% THC, legal at the Federal level in the U.S. but it’s still illegal under some state laws. Marijuana-derived CBD products (with greater than .03% THC) are illegal at the Federal level but legal under some state laws. Clear as mud, am I right? You can get the latest on your state’s laws here.

It is important to be aware of the laws if you are traveling and want to buy or carry these products with you. Also, nonprescription CBD products are not FDA approved so there are a lot of false claims being made about the quality of the products and the treatments that they offer. That’s why we are helping you sort through what works, you check out our favorite products here.

Marijuana (a high-THC variety of cannabis plant)

Marijuana is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried flowers of Cannabis sativa. Marijuana typically has high amounts of THC and moderate amounts of CBD, but the ratio of THC to CBD depends on the strain. Think of strains as different varieties, just like chardonnay and rose are made from different grapes, there are a lot of different strains of marijuana, and they all have different effects on the body.

How do you consume marijuana?

We know when it comes to consuming Marijuana it can feel slightly overwhelming and you may not even know where to start. Not to worry, we've created a simple guide to understand the different ways of consumption. The most popular way to consume Marijuana is through smoking either by hand-rolled cigarettes called joints, or by using a pipe. It can also be used to brew tea or mixed into food called edibles, these tend to be brownies, cookies, or candies. If someone refers to smoking “the flower” this is what they are talking about.

What are the effects of marijuana?

When marijuana is ingested THC and other chemicals in the plant react with our biological endocannabinoid system. This system allows us to experience the pleasant euphoria and sense of relaxation. If smoked, you begin to experience effects almost immediately.

Fun fact: Hemp plants are almost always cultivated outdoors, whereas marijuana plants are often planted in greenhouse or indoor settings.

Weed

When we hear the word 'weed,' we think of Snoop Dogg. Or maybe tie dye, peace signs, and flower crowns… right? It definitely makes us think of a chill scene. Whereas the name cannabis creates a very different image of something more proper like scientists in white coats. While it could mean either one, typically when people use the terms weed or pot, they are talking about marijuana.

Whether you want to call it weed, pot, marijuana, or cannabis, it is your choice. Most people don’t know the difference and now you can impress your friends with your trivia knowledge that cannabis is the umbrella for all derivatives of the plant, and it is the official/scientific name.

To summarize: Marijuana is the variant high in THC and hemp is high in CBD. Weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, and MaryJane are all slang terms.