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Cannabis is gaining momentum as a wellness trend. Preclinical studies have shown it can help treat epilepsy, depression, anxiety, inflammation, and can make living with cancer much more bearable.

One of the hemp plant’s substances – CBD or cannabidiol – is causing the most hype. Today we can find it almost anywhere – from food and drinks, through decorative cosmetics, to oils and topicals that can be purchased legally in physical or online stores. 

The situation is a bit different with THC, the second of the two predominant cannabis compounds. That’s why there’s often a comparison between these two cannabinoids – the CBD vs. THC argument.

But let’s back up a bit. 

Cannabinoids 101

Cannabinoids are active organic chemical compounds that affect cannabinoid receptors in the human body. 

Studies have found links between genetics and the ways in which people react to marijuana.

Marijuana is a widely used drug yet it remains unpredictable. Seasoned users can usually manage the effect that marijuana has on them, while also staying calm during an unpredictable high. For newcomers, however, it’s different; novice users usually can’t predict how the drug will affect them, whether it’ll lead to a paranoid high or giggle fest.

Science says your genes might play a part in how your body reacts to cannabis.

Cannabis functions by binding itself to the cannabinoid receptors in our bodies, which are located in our cells, containing our individual DNA. Mutations in CB1 or CB2 receptors can make you more vulnerable to different illnesses, such as Chron’s disease or anorexia. These changes could also impact how your cells bind to different molecules including the ones in cannabis.

In a 2019 study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, researchers found that a variable in the gene CHRNA2 could increase the risk of becoming addicted to cannabis. Cannabis addiction is something that’s not all that understood, with many people doubting its existence. Symptoms of marijuana withdrawal include depression, irritability, a higher heart rate and more.

There are all kinds of techniques people use when it comes to growing premium bud. Some people have their tried-and-true methods that they swear by while others are still in the trial-and-error period of their growing journey. Regardless of skill level, when it comes to growing a flourishing crop, the first place to begin when choosing to grow cannabis plants is with knowing how to properly select quality seeds.

Seeds that are not mature are typically small with a greenish hue and soft shell. Good, healthy seeds will be more greyish to brown with speckles and have a glossy appearance free from cracks. They are typically bigger in size as well. Seeds that are very dark or near black and appear to be dull may be old. To avoid immature seeds or aged seeds, try not to purchase seeds that have recently been harvested as well as those that have been kept in storage for long amounts of time.

Fresh seeds have a high germination rate that drops dramatically over time — from 90 percent down to 20 percent after three or four years. Excellent seeds are the cornerstone of successful plant growth because each one contains the genetic material that determines certain characteristics like size, shape and potency.

The strain of the seed determines what type of effects will be experienced after consumption. Indica and sativa are the two main strains that have distinct characteristic. Indica strains are known for their physical effects, with a noted body high and deep relaxation being the most commonly reported feelings, while sativas provide a cerebral buzz often associated with increased sensitivity to sights and sounds. Most seeds are hybrid strains that are either more indica-dominant or sativa-dominant.

It’s helpful to consider how long it will take plants to grow before picking out seeds. After deciding whether to grow indoors or outdoors, calculate the amount of time estimated for a plant to come to full maturation. Most plants take between seven and nine weeks until they are ready to be harvested, although indica plants tend to grow a little bit faster than sativas.

Hemp legalization under the 2018 Farm Bill unleashed unexpected markets for the crop. One unexpected market: people are consuming hemp the way they often consume its higher THC cannabis cousin—by smoking it.

The Farm Bill defines hemp as cannabis with a THC content that doesn’t exceed 0.3 percent. With THC levels this low, smokers aren’t getting high on hemp. Some are using it as a tobacco alternative, while others are seeking the CBD, a compound marketed for therapeutic effects, like reducing anxiety—although scientific research has yet to conclusively back this claim. Farmers are excited about pre-rolled hemp because it doesn’t require a processor between them and the consumer, for example, as a CBD oil would. Also, hemp flower fetches a good price, compared to common crops like corn or wheat. 

The challenge for state regulators, lawmakers, and law enforcement, however, is that hemp pre-rolls look like joints.

The landscape of states with laws allowing and outlawing smokable hemp looks like a checkerboard. Some states are giving the market the okay. In February, Virginia lawmakers affirmed that it’s legal for people aged twenty-one and up to smoke hemp. A bill in Tennessee last year only bans the sale of smokable hemp to minors. And in Arkansas, local entrepreneurs have found a loophole to meet consumer demand: while the state does not allow local hemp growers to sell flower directly to retailers or customers—they must sell to processors who turn who can turn it into products like CBD oil—retailers are selling out-of-state smokable hemp products. State Rep. David Hillman, R-Almyra, who sponsored Arkansas’s hemp legalization bill, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette it wasn’t his intention to cut Arkansas farmers out of this market. Hillman plans to fix this in the 2021 session.

Meanwhile, other states are not as open to the idea. Texas’s 2019 law allowing hemp production bans the manufacturing of smokable hemp. Louisiana bans the sale of hemp “for inhalation” and Kentucky doesn’t allow the sale of hemp in cigarette or cigar form (A bill in the Kentucky General Assembly this year to remove this ban failed to get any traction before the session ended). The South Carolina Attorney General said in an opinion last year that he’ll leave it up to law enforcement to determine if hemp flower is considered unprocessed and thus illegal to sell. Some retailers in the state decided to err on the side of caution and remove raw hemp from their shelves in the wake of the opinion. A bill in the South Carolina House would have removed the ban on the sale of raw or unprocessed hemp. The General Assembly adjourned on May 12 after a COVID-19 related break, but could be back for a special session in the fall.