To remove any misconceptions of Hemp vs. Marijuana, Melissa Ure, senior policy analyst for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, clarified that “industrial hemp is not marijuana.”

Hemp and marijuana are indeed related. They are both varieties of the cannabis sativa plant, but they differ greatly when it comes to use and THC content.

Hemp vs. Marijuana

The 2014 federal Farm Bill stipulates that hemp can not contain more than 0.3% THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana. To compare, recreational marijuana contains about 28% THC.

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is taking positive steps towards making hemp cultivation opportunities available to a broader spectrum of growers.

Ure says there has been a lot of interest from different farmers who want to participate in the research and development of farming industrial hemp.

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