Marijuana. Say the word, and you’re bound to warrant a reaction. That could be a conspicuous look from a passer-by or a sneaky smile from a stoner in the vicinity. Say “hemp”, though, and you’re lucky if you get any reaction at all. Funnily enough, they’re both terms largely referring to the same plant, cannabis, one that has been used by humanity for well over 5,000 years. What then is the difference, and why has one achieved reverent status while the other continues to languish in the shadows of its notorious sibling?

Cannabis has been around for millennia, with significant mentions in ancient scriptures as well as Ayurveda. Up until the early 20th century, cannabis was widely grown and harvested for its incredibly useful fibre called hemp. Here’s the main difference between marijuana and hemp: marijuana refers to the bud/flower of a female cannabis sativa/indica plant high in psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels, which is dried and consumed for recreational purposes, or a “high”. Hemp, however, refers to low-THC cannabis sativa plants, male or female, which possess no psychotropic properties but can be used to make a massive array of products, from clothing and fuel to healthcare and biodegradable plastics. Studies have even observed its ability to remove toxic metals and radiation from contaminated soil in the areas surrounding Chernobyl.

USA was one of the world’s leading producers of hemp up until the 1930s, going so far as to tout it the world’s first billion-dollar cash crop back in 1938. As I dug deeper, I realised that a lot of the reasons for the prohibition of cannabis and hemp had to do with racism, and lobbying by the then emerging alcohol, pharmaceutical, oil and tobacco companies, but that’s a separate rabbit hole… let’s get to the important stuff: What can hemp do for us today in India?