Hemp, marijuana, cannabis; it can all get pretty confusing. A century of prohibition and propaganda suppressed public knowledge about these wonderful plants, and now use and research are exploding like never before. While hemp and marijuana are both strains of cannabis, there are many key differences between the two. Whether you love marijuana or you're wondering where to dive into the CBD boom, smokable hemp flower is perfect for you. Here at Leafyquick, we offer some of the best hemp flower you'll find.
What's The Difference Between Hemp and Marijuana?
Cultivation
Marijuana growers make sure to keep their plants under careful, controlled growing conditions. Minimizing light and heat exposure helps foster high THC content, the compound that produces the 'high' we all know and love. Hemp, on the other hand, is a much more rugged plant. Hemp grows naturally in many climates, and growers typically plant it in fields as an agricultural product. Hemp plants grow closely together, even as close as a few inches. Marijuana, on the other hand, should stay several feet away from other marijuana plants. Marijuana is so carefully cultivated and different from hemp that you can't even grow it in the same place as its low-THC cousin. Hemp pollen alone is enough to cause nearby marijuana plants to lose their cherished, carefully maintained potency. These differences in cultivation are closely entwined with differences in chemical makeup and use.
Use
The uses for marijuana hinge on its carefully curated chemical content. Many cultures have used marijuana or similar, high-THC strains of cannabis for medicinal purposes and recreation. While prohibition drove both uses underground, the medicinal value of cannabis spearheaded the fight for legalization. Hemp, on the other hand, has many industrial and medicinal applications. During the era of the American Revolution, hemp fabrics were vital for sailing ships. During the Second World War, a shortage of hemp led to the Department of Agriculture creating a movie called 'Hemp For Victory' detailing hemp's vital role in the war effort.
While synthetic fabrics led to the decline of hemp in the '50s, biodegradable hemp plastics may be an important part of any oil-free future. Smoking hemp flower or using hemp oil for medicinal purposes has a history so old it's documented back to Ancient China. However, smoking hemp flower provides a very different experience from smoking marijuana. While it's extremely relaxing and shares many health benefits with marijuana, it doesn't produce a psychedelic high the way marijuana does. The reason is the cannabinoid content of the two.
Cannabinoid Content
Cannabinoids are a family of compounds found in cannabis. You'll also find them in clove, broccoli, and even the human brain, where they play an important role in regulating your health as part of the endocannabinoid system. Cannabis holds the highest known concentration of cannabinoids out of any plant or animal species. The cannabinoid that produces the psychoactive effect of smoking marijuana, THC, makes up 5%-40% of the marijuana plant. Hemp, on the other hand, is only 0.3% THC or less. Hemp is mostly made up of other, non-psychoactive cannabinoids that give cannabis many of its medicinal applications. One of these is cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound that's become the star chemical in the growing cannabis supplement industry. THC content is so low But that raises the question; if hemp won't get you high, why was it ever illegal?
Why Was Hemp Illegal?
In short, cannabis of all types became illegal because of bad laws drafted by badly-informed politicians with bad intentions. While hemp production in America had always existed and some people smoked cannabis, cannabis didn't become common until large-scale Mexican immigration. As the new immigrants often smoked cannabis, anti-Mexican racism led to anti-cannabis hysteria. The first head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, Harry J. Anslinger, dismissed the opinions of medical professionals who saw marijuana as harmless. Instead, he was driven by his beliefs that marijuana drove Mexicans and Black men to violence and made them desire equality.
With that driving prohibition, it's no wonder that hemp was banned along with marijuana - none of it made any sense or was based on science. The destruction of the native hemp industry came back to bite the US and the free world a few years later, as the Japanese conquest of Southeast Asia severed the supply of hemp. Hemp ropes and other products were vital to the war effort. In the end, it took a dramatic effort by Midwestern farmers and the Department of Agriculture to make up the shortfall. People began to question hemp and marijuana prohibition in the 1970s, but a generation of well-intentioned parents raised on anti-cannabis hysteria squashed that movement out of unwarranted fear for their children's safety.
Benefits of Cannabis
Across the ancient world, our ancestors knew smoking cannabis held many benefits. Today, researchers are exploring the utility of treating many different ailments and conditions by smoking cannabis or taking cannabis-derived drugs. Medical marijuana became famous as a treatment for the negative symptoms of chemotherapy. However, we now know that the endocannabinoid system and our natural cannabinoids regulate many systems in the body.
The wide-ranging influence of cannabinoids on the body has created interest in whether or not it's possible to use cannabis as a treatment for many more afflictions. Chronic pain, arthritis, stress, anxiety, epileptic seizures, insomnia, and much more. Drugs derived from cannabis, such as Nabiximols are already changing lives.
At the end of the day, the science of cannabis is young and mostly unproven. While many claims need a lot more study, cannabis enthusiasts around the country have the utmost faith in our plant. Why not try it for yourself and see it doesn't make you a believer, too?
Why Choose Leafyquick Hemp Flower Delivery?
Between marijuana, CBD Oil, and a thousand different CBD-infused food products, there are no shortage of choices. We believe that our organic hemp flower is a great replacement for smoking marijuana and a superior choice compared to refined CBD oils.
Legal in (Most of) the United States
In 2018, the Farm Bill rendered hemp legal to grow and hemp products legal for use across the United States. It defines hemp as cannabis with a THC concentration of 0.3% or less, and we make sure that all of our products stand below this legal threshold. Our hemp is only illegal in a few states that have passed laws explicitly banning hemp.
Drug-Test Safe
Throughout the US, marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. Even in states that have legalized recreational marijuana, many employers still penalize marijuana use. However, drug tests look for THC: due to the extremely low THC content of our products, only abnormally high dosages would cause you to fail a drug test.
A Blissful Smoking Experience
At the end of the day, the most important thing is how our CBD flower makes you feel! Smoking hemp flower is a unique, relaxing experience similar to marijuana without the psychoactive effect. Every marijuana lover knows a friend who doesn't like to smoke marijuana because it makes them feel anxious or they otherwise don't like the high. And if that sounds like you, hemp flower is a great choice to vibe with the gang at parties and get-togethers.
CBD Benefits in a Potent Package
Smoking hemp flower has the advantage of providing the full spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes, the organic materials present in cannabis. When you use a CBD extract, it's usually rich in CBD, light on the other cannabinoids, and devoid of terpenes. Industry pros, growers, and smokers usually place great importance on the entourage effect: the theory that all these components work together to become more than the sum of their parts. Additionally, pulmonary administration - inhaling rather than ingesting a substance - typically results in the greatest bioavailability.
Support Local Growers
Leafyquick is proud to source our hemp from trustworthy, industrial hemp farms across the United States. Every product you order from us is grown in America.
Reliable Delivery
Another perk of smoking our hemp flower is unparalleled convenience. Our Leafyquick vendors in Chicago, New York, and Miami strive to make every delivery the day it was ordered, during the working day. We also arrange shipping if you live in any of the 46+ states that don't have anti-hemp laws on the books.
Try Our Organic Hemp Flower
Here at Leafyquick, we're firm believers in the value of smoking hemp flower. Are you a marijuana enthusiast looking to try something new, or someone who's heard of the benefits of smoking cannabis but wants to try them in a non-psychoactive way? Then order some of our top-grade CBD flower and try it for yourself. You can follow us on our website and social media to keep up to date on the latest hemp flower news.