People in my city are going crazy over this new ‘hemp flower’. Obviously, I get that one is hemp and the other is marijuana. But how is it that the flowers/buds come out looking almost exactly the same? Is there really any difference when it comes to the buds / plants themselves, besides different cannabinoids?
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>People in my city are going crazy over this new ‘hemp flower’. Obviously, I get that one is hemp and the other is marijuana.
Same plant, slightly different varieties. Just like there are different varieties of apples.
Marijuana is a slang term of dubious distinction that was cannonized into federal laws in the late 1930s, despite it’s unclear definition.
Hemp usually refers to the **fiber** produced from domesticated *Cannabis* plants. Although it can refer to plants grown for that purpose. The cloth produced from hemp fibers is called “Canvas” in English. In the past it was widely used for sails because of it’s strength. Modern “canvas” is usually a simulation made from a blend of cotton and synthetic fibers. This is due to the current regulatory difficulties of growing cannabis.
Cannabis grown for the purposes of hemp fiber usually contains almost no TCH and CBD. Some varieties have been developed for the production of edible seeds and oil rather than fibers. These also tend to be termed hemp though in the traditional and strict sense this refers to the produced fibers.
>But how is it that the flowers/buds come out looking almost exactly the same?
Same plant.
>Is there really any difference when it comes to the buds / plants themselves, besides different cannabinoids?
There are a large number of factors that influence the amount of cannabinoids including genetics, weather, light, time of harvest, flower maturity, fertilizer level, etc. The same plant may have different levels depending on when you harvest the flowers.
Modern cannabis has a very long history of cultivation and is probably descended from hybrids of at least three wild species: C. indica, C. sativa, and C. ruderalis. Possibly a fourth.
This occurred slowly over thousands of years in the same way that dogs have been bred for thousands of years, Note that these are all wild species in the strictest sense and the Cannabis you buy in stores is heavily domesticated, heavily crossbred, and is completely dependent on humans for reproduction.
In literature it’s commonly named *C. sativa,* but because there are significant genetic differences between domesticated Cannabis and wild C. sativa, it arguably more accurate to describe it as, *”C. domestica.”* to distinguish it from wild C sativa which is hardly recognizable. There is a decent genetic argument to be made. (Note that this is a subject of ongoing debate so I won’t muddy the topic much further.)
It’s often the case that sellers will refer to their product as C. sativa or C. indica. There’s no scientific basis to such claims. In both cases you’re looking at varieties of domesticated cannabis. They’re all “real” domestic cannabis.
Cannabis may have different forms, colors, and flavors in the same way that different varieties of roses have different colors, shapes, sizes, and aromas. They’re just different cultivars that have been developed by selective breeding.
The developing flower buds are most often used because they usually contain the greatest fraction of cannabinoids. Leaves and stems can be used but there are considered inferior “swag” quality and tends to have less cannabinoids and less pleasant aroma. That is assuming you find the smell of burning weed to be pleasant at all.
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