CBD

Connect With The Kratom Community At Phyto Herbals In Portland

by

Every year, more and more people become interested in the benefits that plant-based extracts and substances can have on our bodies. From Kratom to mushrooms, there are many substances that are growing in popularity.

As people learn about these products, communities about the best practices for using them, information about different varieties, and even recommendations about vendors form. These communities are a great source of information, and a lot of that information can be found online.

But sometimes, you might want the ability to come and check out some products in person or to engage directly with other Kratom lovers.

And if you happen to be in Portland, you can do just that at our flagship retail location, Phyto Herbals and Accoutrements!

All About Phyto Herbals and Accoutrements

Phyto Herbals and Accoutrements is a retail store located in NE Portland. If you’re interested in checking out our products in person, visiting the store is a great way to ensure that you get a complete look at every item available.

The shop is full of products for the Kratom and CBD lover, and there’s also other items for those that aren’t yet using either of these extracts. Our shop carries many different items:

  • • CBD products
  • • Kratom products
  • • Tea
  • • Plant extracts
  • • Books
  • • Incense
  • • Soaps and other beauty/health products
  • • Vaporizers and glass
  • • Accessories (grinders, capsules, scales, and more)

To see everything that Phyto Herbals offers, check out our catalog! With retail shops like this, they can probably even order more products that you are interested in trying. If a shop doesn’t yet carry something that you want to buy, don’t be afraid to ask if they can get it!

You might be surprised by how accommodating shops in our industry can be – we love special ordering products that our customers would like to see!

If there are any products that you want to know more about or you aren’t sure, you can ask us when you stop in or even give the store a call. As experienced sellers, we’ll be able to tell you more about each product and what to expect from them.

Phyto Herbals & Accoutrements has tons of natural products plus pinball machines and a comfy couch!

How Retail Stores Can Help You Learn

Though you can buy everything online these days, there’s something special about being able to go into a retail store and engage with the customers and products directly. When you enter a brick-and-mortar store, you’re getting more than just the products you were shopping for.

You’re getting an experience.

Visiting the store gives you a chance to ask all of the questions that you have, hear about the experiences that those in the shops have had with the products, and simply see what sparks your interest when you’re in the store.

We know how convenient shopping online is – we have a whole website devoted to it! But we also know that there is something special about being able to head into a store yourself and simply browse until you make your final choice about what to get.

Meet the Community

If you’re new to CBD, Kratom, and other plant extracts it can be a bit overwhelming to learn more about what there is out there or how people like to use the items that are available. Even after searching online, you might feel like everyone knows more than you’ll ever know, and that can be overwhelming, too!

Walking into a store as a newbie is still going to cause some nerves, but it’s also going to give you the chance to directly meet and interact with friendly members of these communities. People in the community want to help others learn more, but that desire to share can come off too strong online.

In person, you can have the conversations you’ve been hoping to have and ask the questions that you have been wanting to ask without feeling like you’re missing out on something. As you enter the community, you’ll feel engaged and welcome, and that’s what we want for every single person who is ready to learn more!

A recent Full Moon Tea Ceremony at Phyto Herbals & Accoutrements

Other Ways to Get Involved With The Community

If you aren’t located in Portland, feel free to stop by on your next trip!

Otherwise, you’ll have to find other ways to get involved with the community. But don’t be afraid; there are a lot of ways that you could do that!

Forums

There are quite a few different ways that you can find forums. Simply searching online for forums about the specific topic that you are specifically looking for can help you to find a community.

The important thing to remember about online forums is that not everyone is going to be nice all the time! Don’t be afraid to stop talking to people that frustrate you, and be sure to follow any site’s protocols to follow the rules.

Support AKA

Another way to get involved in the community is to check out American Kratom Association’s website. On the website, you can find information about local events, national movements, and other interesting topics. With all of these events, you can find other people who are interested in Kratom or CBD just like you.

Where to Find Phyto Herbals

Phyto Herbals is located on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard just north of Fremont Street. If you want the chance to check out all of Phyto’s unique offerings, you can see it in person if you visit the brick-and-mortar location!

The store is open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., so feel free to stop by at any time!

Retail & Beyond

While we hope that you have the chance to check out Phyto Herbals, we know that not everyone is located in Portland, and even those that are might not have time to make it out to the physical location. We highly recommend it if you can, but we understand that not everyone can do that!

If you can’t, don’t forget that you can shop the catalog online as well. Between the offerings online at Phyto Herbals and here at Phytoextractum, we truly believe that you can find everything you might want to try!

All About CBD: Cannabidiol Definition, Uses, Legality, and More

by

Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, has become a buzzword of sorts with the recent regulation and legalization of marijuana in many states. While medical marijuana has been around for decades, the common usage of CBD has people who know nothing about cannabis wondering what these three letters are all about.

CBD is one of the many chemical compounds found in cannabis, and its use is on the rise. To understand why and how it’s gaining such popularity, we’ll need to get into the CBD definition, common uses, proposed benefits, and more. Let’s get to it!

What Is CBD?

CBD is a cannabinoid. A cannabinoid is a specific type of chemical compound that can be found in cannabis, also known as marijuana or hemp. Cannabis plants have over 100 different cannabinoids in them, and these compounds cause various effects to our bodies when ingested or smoked.

Our bodies also produce cannabinoids, called endocannabinoids, and we have what is known as an endocannabinoid system (ECS). When cannabinoids are made by our bodies or ingested, they bind to receptors. These bonds cause different physiological and mental effects such as sleepiness, hunger, relaxation, and more. The receptors in the ECS have been linked to the nervous, digestive, and immune systems.

How Is CBD Used?

CBD is most commonly used in the form of CBD oil. The CBD is extracted from a cannabis plant, and then it is put into a carrier oil such as hemp seed, coconut, or avocado oil. The specific strain of cannabis that is used to extract the CBD, along with a host of growing and processing conditions, determine the strength, but the dilution in a carrier oil also affects the concentration of CBD in the finished product.

There are some CBD products that are known as full spectrum CBD oils. These oils contain not only CBD but also other beneficial cannabinoids as well as terpenoids and flavonoids, compounds that give plants their distinct aromas and flavors. The blend of CBD with other powerful chemical compounds creates a more well-rounded effect than CBD isolate in many cases.

CBD oil is taken in a number of different ways:

  • • Internally (swallowed, mixed into food or drink)
  • • Sublingually (under the tongue)
  • • Vaporized (using a vape pen or other vaporizer device)
  • • Topically (on the skin)

Who Uses CBD?

While using marijuana has been stigmatized as sign of being lazy, the broad array of people across all demographics who consume CBD products today prove that CBD use is not synonymous with slacking.

Doctors, lawyers, mothers, fathers, children, veterans, nurses, teachers, and more have all been known to use CBD. There are, of course, regulations on the types of CBD and times when using CBD is allowed in various professions, but most CBD products do not cause the psychoactive high that is characteristic of smoking marijuana.

Why is that?

Why Doesn’t CBD Get You High?

Most CBD products do not cause a psychoactive high that you would get if you were smoking full-leaf marijuana. That is because CBD is a non-intoxicating compound. The high that people associate with cannabis is largely caused by THC.

CBD oils on the market today are high in CBD and other beneficial cannabinoids and extremely low in THC. In fact, to be considered legal, CBD must be extracted from hemp plants that have naturally low THC levels, not from resinous marijuana plants that produce high concentrations of THC. And, all CBD products must keep THC percentage below 0.3% threshold.

Some media coverage and assumptions about those who use CBD still put out the idea that CBD is an illicit substance, but that misconception is gradually being changed with the normalization of CBD and its benefits.

What Are The Alleged Benefits of CBD?

There are a lot of benefits that people say CBD can give you with regular use. While many of these benefits have been shown in human clinical trials, there hasn’t been enough research or evidence done to fully confirm that the effects are truly caused by the CBD.

Anecdotally, however, there is overwhelming evidence to support CBD as an herbal product which can help with many different things. There are more and more places documenting the possible benefits of CBD, and you’ll likely discover helpful information by researching organizations that study CBD and advocate for its use.

Studies About CBD

There have been studies done for all of these benefits, and the evidence is piling up to support CBD as an overall wellness product. We encourage you to find some trusted sources of actual scientific information and explore the studies that have been done on CBD and its possible applications.

You’ll probably find that the potential uses for CBD oil and other CBD products are incredibly varied. As this interesting substance is studied and understood more deeply, its power will be able to be incorporated into many applications.

Is CBD Legal and Safe To Use?

Before the 2018 Farm Bill was passed, CBD oil was legal in at least 30 states, most of which had legalized medical and/or adult-use cannabis. Many states had their own sets of rules and regulations about where you can buy the oil and how it can be used.

CBD’s legal status seemed to shift when the Farm Bill was made law, because it explicitly legalized industrial hemp, the plant from which most CBD products are extracted. Additionally Pharmaceutical-grade CBD, in the form of Epidiolex, was recently approved by the FDA as a prescription available to children with intractable seizure disorders. Still, it’s unclear if, when, and how the FDA will decide to handle CBD products.

The biggest danger that you should be aware of when using CBD is the current lack of regulation. Because CBD-based products are still relatively new, there are numerous companies out there that make CBD products. Many of these companies do not yet have the appropriate safety and testing practices in place.

So, you should be careful to choose a reliable vendor that tests and monitors their products for safety. As sad as it is, there are companies who are willing to lie about CBD percentages, carrier oils, and more in order to make money, so finding a trustworthy supplier is important.

All About CBD: A Brief History of Hemp

by

At this point in 2019, we have all heard of hemp before. Known by many names and often confused with marijuana, hemp has been around on the Earth for at least 10,000 years – and very likely for more years than that.

Most people think of hemp, they usually think of hemp’s cousin (marijuana, a colloquial term for cannabis with intoxicating psychoactive effects). They imagine these products to be more modern additions to the world because of the way they are presented in the media.

Remember, however, that marijuana and hemp are simply the two most well-known species of the same plant genus, cannabis. They are similar, but they have different compounds and characteristics that affect how they can and cannot be used.

Hemp is not a modern crop; the history of hemp goes back for longer than you can imagine!

What is the history of hemp, and how has that history shaped the way that hemp is seen and used today? Our brief walk through the history of hemp will present the key points so that you can gain a more complete understanding of this important plant.

Hemp’s World Arrival

Most scientists believe that hemp has been around for more than 10,000 years, and that is most likely true! Carbon dating suggests that hemp seeds and oils found are more than 10,000 years old, but there could be variation in that finding.

Hemp’s first traces were found in parts of modern day China and Taiwan, and those traces date all the way back to 8000 BCE! The remnants that have been found are hemp cords, and there is also some evidence that it was used as food as well.

When humans first transitioned to agricultural societies, it is very likely that hemp was one of the crops cultivated.

From the region where hemp first originated, it spread across the entire world. Other than in Asia, evidence of hemp has been found in Africa, Europe, and South America. It’s even mentioned in numerous religious texts as a kind of sacred and powerful crop. This makes a lot of sense because hemp was used to create many parts of life: shoes, paper, ropes, clothes, food, and more!

Moving Forward

Hemp would continue to be important across the world for the next few centuries. The uses and importance of hemp would not falter – and now we’re starting to see even more innovation in hemp products and applications.

For example, hemp oil and fiber were used through Henry VIII’s reign to help construct battleships, sails, pennants, and more. Hemp paper was also being used in Bibles, maps, documents, and more throughout history.

Early American Introduction

Hemp was brought to North America in 1606, and it has been a part of American life in one way or another since them. Like in other societies, hemp was used in American society to create rope, paper, lamp fuel, and more!

The founding fathers of America even touted the importance of hemp, and America’s Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson on – you guessed it – hemp paper.

In fact, hemp was so important that farmers in some states were legally required to grow hemp on their land or they would face a fine. That fine (and other taxes) could even be paid with hemp as a form of currency!

Changes in the Early 1900s

Up until the early 1900s, hemp continued to be used largely in the same ways that it had always been used. While cannabis had popped up before 800 BCE in various texts, the primary benefits of hemp still had more to do with manufacturing and farming, not relaxation. Hemp has consistently been the more important and economically impactful crop of the two.

That is until the early 1900s in America. At this time, the US government was determined to cut down on drugs such as marijuana. Hemp was grouped in with this crop and was highly taxed after the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was enacted. This nearly killed the hemp industry altogether.

Hemp For Victory

Things would remain this way until 1942, when they needed and encouraged 400,000 acres of hemp to be planted in order to help support America through the war. Check out this video that showed how hemp was promoted during wartime:

Most people today cannot imagine that the government would release such a film, and a large reason for that is because most people think that hemp is the same exact product as marijuana. While both plants are related, hemp is not cannabis, and they are not used in the same ways.

Post-War Decline

Once the war period ended, however, everything was reverted to the way that it was. Hemp was no longer OK to grow, and no new hemp farms would be started from 1957 until 2007. Hemp farmers had to find something else to do, and many filed for bankruptcy.

Hemp farms were officially outlawed along with the substance itself in 1970, and it would take more than 30 years for hemp to be released from the drug-fighting efforts of America.

Today

Today, food-grade hemp products are allowed to be sold in America, and there are hemp farms helping to create dietary hemp for body care, clothing, and textile products. In 2014, the Farm Bill allowed hemp cultivation as a research effort, and, more recently the cultivation of industrial hemp was federally legalized with the 2018 Farm Bill.

Understanding the importance of hemp on its own can help to explain why some people become outraged when people suggest that hemp seed oil and similar products are the same as marijuana, THC, or even CBD oil (CBD is a cannabinoid present in both hemp and marijuana, but it is extracted from hemp plant matter, not hemp seeds). All of these products have their own benefits, but they should not be confused for one another.

Hemp is a very important crop today as much as it has ever been. As the world changes and agriculture regains its importance in our world, the growth of the hemp industry can also be seen.

We’re excited to see how hemp will once again revolutionize the world in the 21st century!

CBD Oils & Capsules: Phytoextractum Product Introduction

by

When it comes to CBD oils and capsules, there are suddenly dozens of options on the market. Every specific blend has its own properties, and finding the best one for you can require a lot of research into each option.

We know how exhausting that can be, so we’ve put together this short guide as an introduction to the products that we have to offer. We are very proud of the items we source, and we hope that among them you find the CBD products that work best for your needs.

Oils

We offer a number of hemp-derived, full spectrum CBD oils. This means that they include CBD as well as a number of complementary cannabinoids (but not THC, the cannabinoid that accounts for the psychoactive effects of marijuana). Many studies suggest that formulations which contain cannabinoids other than just CBD are more effective.

Full Spectrum CBD Hemp Oil by Bridgetown Botanicals

This product is available from Phytoextractum in three different concentrations: 1000mg, 500mg, and 250mg.

Bridgetown Botanicals uses pesticide-free, non-GMO industrial hemp to make their hemp oil. The hemp is carefully grown using organic practices. Once the extraction process is complete, oils are tested and measured for accurate CBD concentration and bottled accordingly.

Regardless of the CBD content, THC is always less than 0.3%, the threshold for a CBD product to be considered legal – and far too little for you to ever feel its effects. The extracted cannabinoids are blended with MCT oil to create the final product, which can be easily mixed into your favorite food or beverage or taken orally on its own.

Full Spectrum CBD Oil by Joy Organics

This mint CBD oil is available from Phytoextractum in a 250mg size.

Produced organically by Joy Organics, this full spectrum CBD oil has a relatively low level of CBD at 8.33mg per serving while still remaining THC-free.

The formula for this particular CBD oil is designed to be edible without needing to mix it with anything else. The CBD extract is combined with hemp seed and grape seed oils, along with mint and stevia to add flavor.

To use this oil, you can mix it with food, but it can also be taken sublingually by putting the appropriate amount underneath of your tongue.

Full Spectrum Water Soluble CBD by Ambary Gardens

This product from Ambary Gardens is available in a 150mg size, which is on the lower end of the products that we sell at this time. Unlike our other CBD oils, however, this oil is more water soluble. This means that it can be added to any beverage without affecting the flavor or taste.

The cannabinoids in this product bond with water and Vitamin E, used to preserve and deliver the CBD. The mixture itself is both tasteless and odorless, so it is a very versatile consumption method.

Pet CBD Hemp Oil by Bridgetown Botanicals

This hemp oil is created specifically for your furry friends! Coming at 150 mg per bottle, this product is great for pets who might benefit from CBD.

As we mentioned earlier, Bridgetown Botanicals prides themselves on using pesticide-free and non-GMO hemp. The CBD extract is mixed with cold pressed hemp seed oil, and that is how this final product is created. There are 10mg of CBD per milliliter of fluid, and this product can easily be mixed into your pet’s food.

Capsules and Tablets

In addition to oils, we have a number of specialized CBD capsules for those who prefer the convenience this method offers.

CBD Dissolvable Sleep Tablets With Melatonin by Medterra

These tablets by Medterra each contain 25mg of CBD isolate and 10mg of melatonin. Depending on your personal preference, you can easily break the tablet in half. Each tablet or tablet piece can then be placed under the tongue for the most rapid and effective absorption.

The combination of melatonin and CBD makes this a great choice for when you’re winding down in the evenings. The tablets have a refreshing spearmint flavor. The carrier oil in these capsules, avocado oil, gives you a healthy measure of antioxidants as well.

CBD Isolate Softgels by Bridgetown Botanicals

Softgels like these CBD isolate ones by Bridgetown Botanicals are known to dissolve faster and be absorbed more rapidly than traditional capsules, but what else is special about them?

These softgels contain 30mg of CBD per capsule, and there are 900 mg of capsules in the bottle. “Isolate” means that CBD has been isolated from other cannabinoids and extracted on its own, as opposed to “full spectrum,” which includes a range of cannabinoids. The CBD isolate in Bridgetown products is made from organically grown hemp, and there is zero THC in the capsules. The extract is blended with MCT oil before the mixture is added to the easy-to-swallow softgels.

CBD Isolate Vegetarian Capsules by Bridgetown Botanicals

Next, we have a vegetarian-friendly item from Bridgetown Botanicals. As their CBD isolate softgels contain gelatin in the outer capsule, they have also made a vegetarian-friendly capsule which does not contain gelatin.

The composition of the oils inside of the capsule is exactly the same as their CBD isolate softgels: 30mg of CBD isolate and zero THC in every individual capsule. The entire bottle has 900mg of CBD in 30 capsules.

Full Spectrum CBD Capsules by Bridgetown Botanicals

In addition to the CBD isolate products introduced above, we also carry full spectrum products from Bridgetown Botanicals. These full spectrum CBD capsules are vegetarian-friendly.

These capsules have 30 mg of cannabinoids in each capsule. This combination of powerful components works together to deliver a great, full spectrum product. As with their other products, the primary carrier oil in these capsules is MCT oil.

Full Spectrum CBD Softgels by Bridgetown Botanicals

Finally, we have the softgel version of the full spectrum CBD product from Bridgetown Botanicals. This product also contains 30 mg of cannabinoids in each serving; everything except the softgel capsule itself is identical to the standard capsule composition.

Choose Your CBD Product Carefully

As you have learned today, there are a lot of different CBD oils and capsules. Those offered through our store are just a small selection of everything that is available, but we believe that we have sourced some of the best products on the market. Choose whichever appeals most to you! Try them all!

All About CBD: Basics of the Endocannabinoid System

by

“Endocannabinoid” is a word that has become exceptionally popular these last several years. Thanks to research and scientific breakthrough, we’re discovering more answers to our questions surrounding endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids like cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and how they affect the receptors in our bodies.

The System

The endocannabinoid system (ECS), named after the cannabis plant itself in the 1990’s, makes its home in the entirety of the human body. Endogenous cannabinoid receptors are found in our organs, connective tissues, immune cells, reproductive tracts, and brains; each location performing different tasks with the same goal – maintaining stability within the body to regulate the effects of external fluctuations, which we know as homeostasis.

We have discovered that the endocannabinoid system plays a huge part in homeostasis throughout not only our bodies, but every vertebrate’s body as well. Not only useful for homeostasis, scientists have uncovered multiple other physiological processes that the ECS is involved in, such as pain-sensation, memory, mood, appetite, and more.

Taking a deeper look into the makeup of the system, we find three major players: the endocannabinoids, the receptors, and metabolic enzymes.

Endocannabinoids

These are molecules that are naturally synthesized by humans and animals that, of course, have the system within. Specializing in intercellular communication, these lipid metabolites (organic fatty compounds) are produced instantly by the body when needed and connect to and activate cannabinoid (CB) receptors. Endo, in Latin, means “within,” so we can understand that endocannabinoids are from inside the body. Cannabinoids, without the prefix, are external compounds that function with the same receptors as endocannabinoids.

The dominant endocannabinoids are anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG, thank goodness).

Anandamide, named so in homage to the Sanskrit word “ananda” meaning happiness, is a neurotransmitter synthesized in the brain that binds to CB receptors. Anandamide is studied to positively affect mood regulation, feelings of anxiety and fear and more, and aptly nickenamed the “bliss molecule.”

2-AG is an endogenous ligand (specialized protein) for the CB2 receptor and an agonist for the CB1 receptor. This protein helps regulate appetite, pain management and immune system functions.

The Receptors

CB1 and CB2 comprise the main types of receptors in the ECS, with more being studied as we speak.  

CB1 receptors are principally located within the brain and central/peripheral nervous system, with branches reaching to the spinal cord, liver, kidneys, digestive tract, muscles, and lungs as well. These receptors are known for their participation in cardiovascular activity and motor control, as well as expressing the psychoactive effects of THC.

CB2 receptors take their place in the immune and gastrointestinal system. Although seen in the brain and possibly the peripheral nervous system, they don’t present as densely as CB1 in the same areas. Nearly every disease that poses a detriment to human health has shown a change in CB2 receptor expression and endocannabinoid levels in general.

How do these spectacular physical structures work? I think data scientist Nick Jikomes portrayed the process flawlessly:

“Cannabinoid receptors sit on the surface of cells and “listen” to conditions outside the cell. They transmit information about changing conditions to the inside of the cell, kick-starting the appropriate cellular response.”

The Enzymes

The role of metabolic enzymes in the ECS is to decimate the endocannabinoids immediately after their purpose is fulfilled, preventing the molecules from loitering in the body. The special enzymes that take care of this are fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL).

FAAH hydrolyzes anandamide, while MAGL is responsible for the metabolism of 2-AG.

CBD and the ECS

With the knowledge that anandamide interacts with our bodies in such positive ways, don’t you think we should try to inhibit its breakdown? If you do, then that is a perfect motivator in making CBD a regular part of your wellness routine.

FAAH’s process of hydrolyzing anandamide is inhibited by CBD, thus increasing activity of the bliss molecule. This is accomplished by CBD blocking access of endocannabinoids onto transport molecules, temporarily disabling FAAH’s mechanism.  

Isolated CBD can’t maintain all the work on its own, however, so thanks to the entourage effect we see major benefits to our whole endocannabinoid system, not just a concentrated portion of it.

Final Thoughts

Thank you for sticking around and learning about the ECS! There’s so much more to learn, and sometimes all of this can get complicated. I encourage you to stick with it and educate your friends and family that may have questions on what we already know.

All About CBD: How are Hemp and Marijuana Different?

by

Allow me to start with the basics – Cannabaceae is the family of flowering plants in which the genera of hops, nettle trees, and cannabis exists. Within the genus of cannabis lies two classifications: Sativa and Indica.

For the past several years, cannabis has been scientifically studied and researched more than ever before. As we learn new things about the botanical, we realize what misinformation has been thought to be correct for hundreds of years, which is why many people simply do not know the differences of cannabis, hemp, and marijuana.

Although the biological structures of marijuana and hemp are indeed different, they are both species of Cannabis Sativa.

The Look

Anyone with an unpracticed eye may very well confuse the two if asked to imagine the plants in their heads, but once you’re given the info, their distinctions are easily discernible.  

Hemp tends to be tall, growing between 7-13 feet in height. The branches and leaves are concentrated towards the top of the plant and bear a thinner semblance than marijuana.

Marijuana on the other hand usually grows shorter and stubbier, possessing broad leaves and dense buds. This plant requires a strictly controlled environment to thrive, unlike hemp which needs less attention.

If you were to see a plot of land growing only hemp next to another plot growing only marijuana, you would see the differences instantly. There shouldn’t be any cannabis-rich plots of land so closely bunched however, because cross-pollination from hemp to marijuana would compromise the cannabinoid content.

Cannabinoids

One of largest distinctions we see in the industry comes down to the two famous cannabinoids that are present in both marijuana and hemp: Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD). The amount in which the compounds are present in each plant is drastically different however. These compounds are nearly identical in that the sole microscopic difference in chemical makeup is a single atom.

How can these two be drastically different if they appear virtually uniform? It’s surprising how this small of a variance can affect our endocannabinoid system.

These cannabinoids, among others found in cannabis, have shown tremendous benefits for human health. The largest contrasting attribute however is that THC possesses psychoactive properties, in which the user can feel “euphoria,” whereas CBD does not. Further, CBD may even inhibit the saturation of THC in the brain when consumed.  

Uses

The cannabis plants have been revered for millennia due to their vast range of uses. In ancient times, they were harvested and crafted into building materials like rope, as well used for medicine and religious ceremonies.

Funny as time flies and some things remain the same. In modern days, we are discovering that there is an illimitable amount of ways these plants can help us, from ecotechnological advancement to treating epilepsy.

The noticeable difference of marijuana and hemp however is the amount in which the chemical cousins are produced. Marijuana contains much higher amounts of THC (5 to 30+ per cent) and lower traces of CBD. This is the opposite truth of hemp, as it contains a higher amount of CBD and next to nothing in THC (0.3 to 1.5 per cent).

With these perceptions, we can understand their uses in society better. Hemp, due to its stature, availability and chemical makeup, is superior for industrial applications and extracting CBD with miniscule amounts of THC. Marijuana is preferred for recreational and medicinal uses due to its higher THC content and entourage effect with CBD.

Legalities

This is always an interesting topic because there have been constant changes in United States cannabis legislation for years.

Keeping up with current laws is absolutely vital for cannabis businesses, both in agriculture and retail, to survive. There are so many details that go into the farming, manufacturing, distributing and selling that could change at any moment, so adjustments must be made quickly and correctly.

Marijuana is and has been federally illegal since the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Colorado and Washington state prepared bills suggesting the regulated use of recreational cannabis, both of which were successful. Following their lead, we now have 10 states that allow for recreational use. Even before these measures however, medical marijuana was available in certain U.S. states, with additions to make the current total 33.  

Hemp was lumped in with marijuana in the act of 1970, despite its distinguishing qualities. Colorado once again lead the way and legalized the commercial cultivation of hemp on the state level. It was the following year that the U.S. hit a milestone in the industry when President Obama signed the Farm Bill update of 2014, which finally redefined hemp as a separate entity from marijuana and allowed research and scientific development.

As of December 11th, 2018,  the Senate voted 87-13 in favor of the updated Farm Bill of 2018, and the House of Representatives on December 12th voted in favor 386-47. The outcome of the bill passing? $867 in subsidies divvied between farmers, reinforcing economic growth and marketing for Farmers’ Markets, rejecting stricter limits on food stamps and, of course, legalizing hemp.

Final Thoughts

Hemp and marijuana are amazing plants and provide an astounding volume of distinct uses. Now that you know their primary differences, you can begin or continue your wellness routine feeling knowledgeable and hopefully more comfortable; that’s what I’m here for! If you have any questions or comments, you can head over to @phytoextractum on Twitter.