We love learning fun and interesting facts and it wouldn’t be different with Cannabis and Hemp. These are the top 5 fascinating facts about Cannabis that you need to know
Top 5
#1 Cannabis Absorbs Radiation
It has been shown that cannabis helps to clean the soil by eliminating toxins and radiation. One of the most well-known cases is the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Scientists planted cannabis at the disaster site and they found that this plant removed the chemicals in the soil better than any other plant. This was possible through phytoremediation.
Also growing cannabis can improve the soil when is grown as a break crop. Farmers are getting a 27% increased yield after the hemp crop because industrial cannabis puts nitrogen back into the soil, suppresses weeds and diseases, and clean contaminates out of the planet.
#2 Cannabis and Hemp are the same but different
In terms of taxonomy and nomenclature, they are the same. Both come from the same family (Cannabaceae) and genus (Cannabis). In fact, hemp products are derived from Cannabis Sativa. But there is a key difference between them; their THC content.
THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the main chemical compound found in Cannabis, the psychoactive chemical. It’s the chemical that makes Cannabis be the “bad guy”.
Cannabis contains up to 30% THC by dry weight, making it illegal in the United States. But Hemp contains no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight. Making it legal under the Agricultural Act of 2018.
#3 CBD can be found in Cannabis and Hemp, but only one is legal
CBD or Cannabidiol has been very popular these days because of its potential health benefits. This is a chemical found in both Cannabis and Hemp plants, which makes it controversial.
CBD is an entirely separate chemical compound from THC but it can still be illegal depending on where is derived from.
Under the Agricultural Act of 2018, commonly known as the “2018 Farm Bill”, hemp and hemp-derived products, including hemp-derived CBD, are legalized. A common misconception is that CBD is legal regardless of where it’s derived from. However, Cannabidiol is only legal if is derived from Hemp.
#4 Cannabis is a very old plant
Humans have been using this plant for hundreds of years.
A 10,000-year-old archaeological site in Taiwan contains pottery fragments with a twisted strand imprinted around the edge. These marks were made by pressing a rope made of hemp. Hemp was widely used in ancient China as fabric to make clothes and as paper.
Its medicinal use has been recorded in a medical textbook in China dating back to 2800 B.C. and 789 grams of 2,700-year-old cannabis was found in a Chinese tomb in 2008.
Carl Linnaeus is a taxonomist who first gave taxonomic identification of this plant in 1753. It was first introduced to the modern western world through a report done by a medical doctor William O’Shaughnessy in 1839.
#5 Cannabis comes with different names
We all know the terms used to refer to Cannabis; Marijuana, Mary Jane, Ganja, Weed, among others. But do we know where they come from?
Marijuana was coined before its prohibition around 1910-1920 when Mexican immigrants were already exploiting this plant.
In China, Cannabis has been found in an ancient medicinal textbook, Pen Ts’ao, which is credited to an emperor in 2800 B.C., referring to the plant as “Ma”.
In the report given by William O’Shaughnessy to the Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta in India in 1839, he referred to the plant as “ Almost invariably the inebriation is of the most cheerful kind, causing the person to sing and dance, to eat food with great relish, and to see aphrodisiac enjoyments”. This plant is known as the Indian Hemp or “Gunjah”.
Here are more facts about Cannabis:
- The Hollywood sign was changed by a prankster in 1976 to read “Hollyweed”, after the passage of a state law decriminalizing marijuana.
- In 1949, the U.S. Military created a synthetic version of Cannabis called “Dimethylheptylpyran.” Just 1 mg can have effects lasting for 3 days.
- California was the first U.S. state that banned Cannabis a century ago.
- Bob Marley was buried with his red Gibson guitar, a Bible open to Psalms 23 and a bud
- The woman who made cannabis brownies famous by baking and distributing them to AIDS patients was actually called Mary Jane.
- 18.3% of Iceland’s population uses cannabis, placing them as the top cannabis consuming nation in the world.
- Study after study has found that cannabis is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.
- High-achieving teenagers are more likely to drink alcohol and use cannabis than their less school-smart peers, a study of British teenagers found.
- 42% of people in the U.S. have tried Cannabis at least once.
All information contained in this article is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a physician or a qualified healthcare provider for any questions regarding your health and well-being.