Despite being decriminalized in more than two-thirds of the states, medical marijuana is still misunderstood on so many levels. A big reason for some of that misunderstanding is terminology. Unfortunately, we use incorrect terms and still assume everyone else knows what we are talking about. Here’s exhibit A: CBD-only medical marijuana.
I ran across the term while doing some research on CBD and its mental health benefits. I understood what the author meant when he mentioned CBD-only medical marijuana. Here is the problem: there is no such thing. A product containing only CBD – and no THC – cannot be marijuana by definition.
CBD, THC, and Cannabis
Our culture tends to use the terms ‘cannabis’ and ‘marijuana’ interchangeably. I suspect that’s due to marijuana advocates wanting to soften the blow. After all, ‘cannabis’ does not sound as bad as ‘marijuana’. But the two words cannot be used interchangeably if we want everybody to be on the same page.
Marijuana is a form (or variety) of cannabis. It is defined by its THC content. A cannabis plant containing more than 0.3% THC is defined as marijuana. But guess what? Hemp is also a cannabis variety. Hemp has very little THC, if any at all. Its primary cannabinoid is CBD.
To be classified as hemp, a plant cannot have more than 0.3% THC by volume. To be sure, cultivators do everything they can to keep THC content to the bare minimum. Why? Because if they test a hemp crop and find that the plants contain more than the 0.3% threshold, the plants must all be destroyed.
All of this is to say that hemp and marijuana are two different strains of cannabis. All marijuana is cannabis, but not all cannabis is marijuana. Marijuana with only CBD is not marijuana at all. It is hemp. Therefore, there is no such thing as CBD-only medical marijuana.
Medical Cannabis With CBD
It is possible to have CBD-only medical cannabis. If it’s plant material, the product is hemp. If it is not plant material, it is a derived product – like a vape liquid, an oil, or a gummy – infused with CBD. All such products are medical cannabis if used medicinally. But they are not medical marijuana.
This all matters because of the state laws governing medical cannabis. Let us look at Utah. According to the operators of the Beehive Farmacy medical cannabis pharmacy in Salt Lake City, state law does not allow recreational marijuana. Therefore, all state-legal marijuana within their borders is medical cannabis.
A patient looking to buy a medical cannabis product containing more than 0.3% THC must have a valid medical cannabis card. But no card is necessary to purchase a CBD product. CBD-only medical cannabis products can be purchased throughout the state at convenience stores, grocery stores, and even neighborhood pharmacies. The products can even be purchased online and shipped directly to a customer’s door.
Getting It Right Matters
From my perspective, getting medical cannabis terminology right matters. Using separate terms interchangeably only creates confusion among patients and consumers alike. It gives lawmakers reason to be cautious about medical cannabis regulations. On the other hand, making a point to use the correct terms at all times keeps everyone on the same page.
I have been researching and writing on medical cannabis long enough to know what the author of the previously mentioned post was talking about when he wrote ‘CBD-only medical marijuana’. But he was still wrong. There is no such thing as CBD-only medical marijuana. All medical marijuana has at least 0.3% THC by definition. And now you know.
