Hemp and marijuana are two different species of plants in the cannabis genus. It is their cannabinoid profile and psychoactivity that separates them.
But what really is the difference between hemp and cannabis? Between indica or sativa? Are they the same plant, are they different species?
There has always been a certain debate around the botany of cannabis and its taxonomic classification and throughout the 20th century different studies have been published with various combinations: several species, one with different subspecies... Sativa, indica, rudelaris, afghanica They have been terms that have danced between different botanical hierarchies. On the other hand, growers and users have their own classification and divide cannabis into two large groups: indicas (wide leaf and relaxing effect) and sativa (narrow leaf and stimulating effect).
Cannabis sativa encompasses all those varieties of industrial hemp with low levels of THC and little psychoactivity, whose main use is the use of fibers, seeds and non-psychoactive cannabinoids such as the famous CBD. Some of the varieties currently grown and certified in Europe are Carmagnola, Finóla, Futura 75, Kompolti, or Shantica.
The users have their own classification and divide cannabis into two large groups: indicas (wide leaf and relaxing effect) and sativa (narrow leaf and stimulating effect).
Cannabis indica includes all those varieties with the potential to produce THC, regardless of their morphology, with four subspecies: Indica, Afghanica, Chinensis, and Karifistanica. The commercial varieties that we currently find in the recreational market are hybrids and crosses of these subspecies. Some of the best known and cultivated varieties today are: Skunk, Kush, Critical, Amnesia, Cheese or Haze.
In short: We will call industrial hemp any plant of the Cannabis genus, traditionally good for industrial use, with low levels of THC. And we will call medical cannabis (or marijuana) that which has a psychoactive effect, with high THC values. The entire plant is used for industrial hemp (fiber, seed, buds and leaves), while for medicinal and recreational cannabis only its buds are used, either for direct consumption (after drying) or for the extraction of cannabinoids.
