“Cannabis” Vs “Marijuana” – And Why The Differences Between These Terms Matter - Hempire
by Liz Seyi Digital marketing managerIf
you have been browsing our website here at Hempire in Gibraltar with a view to seeking out our consulting services for your
own cannabis business, or even if you are merely interested in the subject on a
more casual basis, you may be intrigued by our use of such terms as “cannabis”,
“CBD” and “hemp”, and our disclination to using the term “marijuana”.
After
all, are the terms “marijuana” and “cannabis” not used interchangeably in many
contexts, alongside such other terms as “weed”, “dope” and “grass”? Indeed,
this is the case on the website of the National Health Service in the UK, a
country where cannabis remains an illegal drug.
The
reality is, however, that although many people do treat “cannabis” and
“marijuana” as synonyms, they are not the same thing. And even if that were the
case, it does not touch on the other issues around how these terms have been
used, in both contemporary and historical contexts.
What
is problematic about the term “marijuana”?
There
are many reasons why our team at Hempire, Gibraltar does not use the term
“marijuana” in reference to the industries we support – one of these being that
the word does not describe the same thing as “cannabis”.
As
explained by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health in
the United States, the term “cannabis” refers to all products derived from
the plant Cannabis sativa. “Marijuana”, meanwhile, only refers to “parts
of or products from the plant Cannabis sativa that contain substantial
amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).”
It
is THC that is primarily responsible for the effects of marijuana on a person’s
mental state that have sometimes contributed to the negative connotations the
term has in the cannabis industry and the wider world. Indeed, some cannabis
plants contain very little THC, and US law considers these plants to be
“industrial hemp”, rather than marijuana.
All
of this is before one even addresses suggestions that the widespread use of the
term “marijuana” by early-20th-century prohibitionists may have been largely
inspired by motivations to appeal to the xenophobia of that era. Indeed, in
today’s age in which marijuana arrests continue to disproportionately impact on
minorities, it has been suggested by some that “marijuana” is a racist term
that should fall out of use.
Contact
us now about how we can help drive your success in the cannabis space
Hopefully,
the above will have given you a useful primer on the potentially deeply
concerning issues and inaccuracy that can surround the use of the term
“marijuana” today, and why we refrain from using the term in reference to our
own services at Hempire in Gibraltar.
Enquire to our team
today, and we would be pleased to provide
further advice and insights into how we could work with you to support the
creation and growth of your cannabis business.
Sponsor Ads
Created on Apr 15th 2022 04:51. Viewed 148 times.