Can You Get High From Eating Hemp?
The whole world is buzzing about the Cannabis Sativa plant. You’ve heard the benefits, but you don’t want to get high to get them. So now you want to know: can you get high from hemp?
People can not get high from eating hemp. Hemp and marijuana are from the same plant family, but they have different properties. Hemp doesn’t contain Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound that causes you to get high.
Marijuana and hemp are often compared and spoken about in the same way. They both come from Cannabis Sativa or Cannabis Indica plant. Hemp, however, contains 0.3 percent or less THC.
In this article, read more about THC. Once you’re done reading you’ll understand the major difference between hemp and marijuana.
Find out what causes the high feeling marijuana gives you and why you don’t get that with hemp. You’ll also learn why hemp won’t show up on a drug test.
Hemp is different from marijuana. You can feel safe knowing anyone can eat hemp.
Can You Get High From Eating Hemp?
A person can’t get high from eating hemp. Hemp contains little to no compounds that cause a high feeling. A Cannabis Sativa plant is classified as hemp if it contains 0.3 percent or less THC.
Furthermore, hemp seeds don’t contain any THC. Various hemp products are made from hemp seeds. Whether hemp seeds are ground, shelled, or cold-pressed into oil, hemp food products are made with care.
When you eat hemp products like hemp hearts or hemp protein powder they contain no THC.
In cannabis plants, it’s the flowers and stems that contain the psychoactive properties that give you a high feeling.
Hemp vs. Marijuana
Hemp and marijuana are closely related as they come from the same plant family. However, both plants have a few differences that have caused a scientific debate. Scientists debate about the plant’s genetic structure and if they are the same plant at all.
The main difference between the two is the chemical structure. Of the 400 chemical compounds found in cannabis, THC is the property in marijuana that is missing in hemp.
Here are some of the differences between hemp and marijuana:
- Hemp contains 0.3 percent or less THC
- Hemp is legal in all states, Marijuana is not
- Marijuana will get you high, Hemp will not
The trickiest part of determining the difference between hemp and marijuana is in the language. Scientists refer to both hemp plants and marijuana plants as cannabis. Cannabis is used to describe any of the Cannabis Sativa plants.
Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis Indica produce both hemp and marijuana plants. The only difference is the amount of THC found in both. When using the term cannabis to describe both plants, it’s hard to determine what is marijuana and what is not.
People use the term hemp oil, CBD oil, and hemp seed oil interchangeably as well. This is because hemp seed oil is often added to CBD to create CBD oil.
To help with the confusion, products advertised with THC contain something from the marijuana plant. CBD comes from the hemp plant stems, leaves and flowers, but hemp products are made from the seeds.
Any food product that is exclusively hemp won’t contain either ingredient.
What Causes the High Feeling?
THC is a chemical found in marijuana that causes a high feeling. THC is a psychoactive compound that causes euphoria.
The higher the levels of THC the greater the ‘high’ feeling you get. The type of strain is what determines what type of high feeling you get if you get high at all.
What is THC?
THC is a compound called a cannabinoid. The compound acts similar to cannabinoids that are already found in the human body. THC stimulates cells in the brain releasing dopamine causing euphoria.
Cannabinoid receptors are in areas in the brain that affect memory, coordination, and pleasure. THC attaches to the cannabinoids in the brain and affects concentration, coordination, and sensory and time perception.
Does Hemp Contain THC?
For a cannabis Sativa or Cannabis Indica plant to be classified hemp, it must have between 0 and 0.3 percent of THC found inside.
Hemp by definition is a cannabis plant that doesn’t have THC in it. 0.3% is a negligible amount of THC, which is regulated by the FDA.
Technically speaking 0.3 percent is something, so it’s best to say that hemp contains little to no THC. However it’s important to note, the part of the plant you eat contains no THC.
Even in a marijuana plant that has THC, there is no THC found in the seeds. The 0 to 0.3 percent of THC that is found in hemp plants are found in the flowers and stem of the plant.
What that means is, in a hemp plant there’s no THC in the seeds used to make hemp hearts, hemp protein, and hemp oil. So, you are unlikely to consume any THC with hemp products.
Will Eating Hemp Show up on a Drug Test?
Eating hemp products could show up on a drug test, but you would not fail. The reason for this is the trace amounts that are found in the hemp plant. Eating hemp-based foods would not give you enough of the marijuana metabolites required for a person to fail.
Remember hemp products come from a part of the plant that doesn’t contain THC. Eating hemp won’t show up on a drug test because there is no THC in hemp products.
Is it Safe to Eat Hemp?
It’s safe for everyone to eat hemp products including pregnant women and children. Hemp products have no THC or CBD found inside. This is the major concern when deciding whether or not hemp is safe to eat.
The FDA does not recommend pregnant or breastfeeding women ingest products that contain CBD or THC. However, the FDA has done an evaluation of hemp seed ingredients. The findings show hemp products are safe for consumption for everyone.
Hemp contains high amounts of fat and should be eaten in consideration of an overall balanced diet. As with any food, hemp should be eaten in moderation.
Hemp products are available as hemp hearts, hemp oil, hemp protein powder, and hemp protein bars. You can add hemp products to your recipes, put it on your skin, or take hemp as a supplement.
Hemp is not only safe to eat you also will benefit from adding hemp seed products to your diet. Hemp protein contains omega fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals that promote a healthy brain, heart, and immune system.
It is safe to eat hemp in any form. But when adding something new to your diet you should check with your doctor first.
Summary: Can You Get High From Eating Hemp?
As you can see, you don’t have to worry about getting high from hemp products. Hemp products that come from the Cannabis Sativa or Cannabis Indica plant contain little to no THC.
In fact, hemp plants are only classified as hemp if they contain 0.3 percent or less THC. The chemical is found in the flowers and stems. So, the hemp seeds in cannabis plants don’t contain THC.
THC is the compound in cannabis that has psychoactive properties. Since THC is not found in hemp seed products, you don’t have to worry about getting a high feeling.
The lack of THC is the main difference between the hemp plant and the marijuana plant.
Because of that main difference, you don’t have to worry about failing a drug test when eating hemp products. All you’ll need to worry about is getting the nutritious benefits.
Hemp is safe for everyone in the family, so give some of the products a try. You won’t get high from eating hemp, but you will get nutritious benefits.
So try hemp hearts, hemp oil, or hemp protein powder today to add omega fatty acids, calcium, vitamin d, and iron to your diet. For on the go convenience, try a hemp protein bar. You can find them online or in a store near you.