In online and local dispensaries, you’ll find two product categories, hemp-derived and marijuana-derived. Marijuana-derived products contain cannabinoids extracted from marijuana plants, which have higher than 0.3% THC concentration and can get you high.  Hemp-derived products contain cannabinoids derived from hemp plants. Can these products give an intoxicating effect? This article explores the properties and benefits of hemp.

What Is Hemp?

Hemp or hemp plants are a strain of the Cannabis Sativa plant that originated from Central Asia as early as 10,000 BC. At that time, cannabis plants had various purposes, and our forefathers used them as a food source and for other basic necessities such as clothing. Some tribes used cannabis flowers for their medicinal properties, and many implemented them for recreational and spiritual practices.

In 1979, the author of “The Species Problem in Cannabis: Science & Semantics.”, Ernest Small proposed a way of differentiating cannabis plants with lower THC concentrations from those with higher THC concentrations. He defined those cannabis plants containing less than 0.3% THC as hemp. Later, in 2018, the same ruling was used for legalizing cannabis plants at the federal level under the Farm Bill.  After this ruling, all cannabinoids extracted from hemp are called hemp-derived products.

Many manufacturers use hemp plants to derive renowned cannabinoids like CBD, Delta 8, and HHC.

• What cannabinoids come under this 

Hemp plants contain almost all the cannabinoids that occur in cannabis. These include:

• CBD

CBD is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid that naturally exists in hemp in large quantities. It got discovered in 1940 by American chemist Roger Adams. To obtain a pure extract of CBD from hemp, manufacturers use solvent extraction procedures such as the supercritical CO2 extraction method.

What are the beneficial effects of CBD? CBD provides therapeutic effects by interacting with your body’s endocannabinoid system. By interacting with the ECS, CBD may improve your mood, relieve stress from your mind and body, and cause sleepiness at higher doses.

• Delta 9 – THC

Hemp plants contain no more than 0.3% Delta 9 – THC It is the main form of THC responsible for getting marijuana users high. The cannabinoid was first isolated by Israeli chemist Raphael Mechoulam in 1965.

Delta 9 – THC brings its psychoactive effects by interacting with your body’s endocannabinoid system. It stimulates the cannabinoid receptors CB1, bringing potent intoxicating effects. A Delta 9 high may make you feel happier, more relaxed, and energized.

• Delta 8 – THC

Delta 8 – THC is an isomer of Delta 9 – THC and occurs in small quantities in hemp. To obtain this cannabinoid in large amounts, manufacturers use an isomerization process that involves converting hemp-derived CBD to Delta 8 – THC.

Delta 8 – THC holds intoxicating properties, although they’re not as strong as those of Delta 9.

What Are The Ways To Consume Hemp? 

In online and local dispensaries, you can use hemp in various ways. Some of these include:

• Vaping Or Smoking

Many use fresh or dried hemp plants by rolling them up in a joint to smoke or placing them inside vapes specifically designed for dry herbs. It usually takes about 5-10 minutes for the effects of hemp to kick in when you’re vaping it. This is because while inhaling the vapors released from the vape, the cannabinoids present in hemp, immediately enter your bloodstream and activate their effects by traveling to your brain. However, these effects only last for about 3-4 hours.

• Gummies

You can also find hemp edibles such as gummies available in the market. They’re super easy to consume and taste great. Hemp gummies usually take around an hour for their effects to kick in, this is because the gummies get digested first and then the cannabinoids present in hemp, enter your bloodstream and activate their effects.

Does Hemp Make You Feel High?

As mentioned earlier, hemp plants have less than 0.3% THC or no THC at all. Since THC occurs in minute quantities, you won’t get enough doses of this cannabinoid to make you feel high. However, hemp-derived cannabinoids like Delta 8 – THC may make you feel intoxicating effects if consumed.

How Can You Store Your Hemp Products?

When it comes to storing your hemp products, you have to make sure that you store them properly because it can affect their shelf life and cause them to decrease if not stored properly. The best place to store them is a dark and cool place that doesn’t allow the products to get exposed to heat or light which can cause them to degrade or expire at a faster pace.

It’s also important that you store them in air-tight containers such as jars or zip-lock bags. This helps prevent any chances of leakage from hemp products and it also prevents germs and bacteria from crawling in and spoiling the hemp products.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is Hemp Legal?

Hemp is considered legal in the US, thanks to the 2018 Farm bill, which states that all hemp products and hemp-derived cannabinoids are considered legal as long as they only contain 0.3% of THC in them. The states in which hemp is legal, include:

• Alaska
• California
• Colorado
• Massachusettes
• Illinois
• Maine
• Michigan
• Nevada
• Vermont
• Washington
• Oregon
• What Is The Cost Of Hemp?

Hemp costs around $2.50. However, it depends on the place that you purchase them from as well as the amount of hemp that you want to purchase. 

• What Is The Shelf Life Of Hemp Products?

Most hemp products have a shelf life of about 12 months if they remain unopened. If you open one of your hemp products, then you have to consume them within the first 3-4 months because their shelf life will start to decrease after that. It’s also important that you store your hemp products properly in order to make sure that their shelf life doesn’t decrease. 

• Does Hemp Have A Life Cycle?

Yes, the lifecycle of hemp consists of four stages, which include:

• Germination and emergence
• Vegetation
• Flowering and seed formation
• Senescence

The Final Verdict – Does Hemp Get You High

Hemp contains over 100 cannabinoids among which CBD, Delta 8, and Delta 9 are the most commonly used. Hemp, on its own, won’t get you high if smoked or consumed because it doesn’t have more than 0.3% THC. Moreover, these cannabis plants are federally legal in the US under the 2018 Farm Bill.