We tend to think of medical cannabis as marijuana or a product derived from it. And in fact, we often refer to it as medical marijuana. That is technically not correct. Why? Because not all medical cannabis products contain THC. Some derive their health and wellness benefits from CBD.
The reason behind the confusion lies in similar confusion about what marijuana and cannabis are. Cannabis is a well-known species of plant. Within that species are several varieties, including marijuana and hemp. Marijuana is cultivated for its THC content. Hemp is cultivated for both industrial and health and wellness applications.
Cannabinoids Tell the Story
So how does one tell the difference between marijuana and hemp? A plant’s cannabinoids tell the story. Federal law classifies marijuana as any cannabis plant with more than 0.3% THC by volume. A cannabis plant with less THC is considered hemp. This matters to the medical cannabis industry.
All marijuana is cannabis. All marijuana-derived products are cannabis products. But not all cannabis products contain THC. Those derived from hemp are considered CBD products if their THC content is below the federal threshold.
A CBD Lotion for Pain
A practical example should clear up any confusion you might have at this point. Consider a CBD lotion you purchase to treat minor aches and pains. The lotion contains CBD – a cannabinoid that occurs naturally in cannabis plants. By the strictest definition, you are purchasing a medical cannabis product even though the lotion has no THC in it.
You do not need a special card to make your purchase. In fact, you can buy CBD products just about anywhere. They are sold in convenience stores, at gas stations, grocery, and department stores, and even online. The same is not true for medical marijuana products.
A THC Product for Pain
Although CBD is widely acclaimed for its pain-relieving abilities, THC is also credited with being able to relieve pain. If you were to visit the Beehive Farmacy medical cannabis pharmacy in Salt Lake City, UT, you would find a number of different THC products a pharmacist might recommend for pain relief.
Here is the difference: you would need a state-issued medical cannabis card in order to get into Beehive. That card would be your license to purchase, possess, and consume medical cannabis in Utah. Without a card, you would be out of luck.
The types of products sold from Beehive Farmacy shelves is what we normally think of when the topic of medical cannabis comes up. That’s probably due to the fact that the term itself was designed to gain sympathy among people who would otherwise be opposed to marijuana legalization. But the term notwithstanding, you can buy cannabis products for medicinal use that have no THC in them.
Intoxicating Cannabis Products
If we set aside the medical cannabis category for one minute, we can take this whole thing a step further to talk about intoxicating cannabis products that have no THC. Actually, these products have no delta-9 THC, the form of THC associated with marijuana. But they can have other forms – like delta-8 and delta-10.
Both delta-8 and delta-10 are delta-9 THC isomers. That means their molecular makeups are identical. The only difference is in how each of their molecules are arranged. The interesting thing is that manufacturers do not need THC to come up with delta-8 and delta-10. Both can be synthesized from CBD in a lab.
Unfortunately, what we generally understand as medical cannabis isn’t exactly accurate. Perhaps it’s time for us to redefine our terms so that future discussions are understood by all.
