Cannabis vs. Marijuana: What’s the Difference?

By Bruna Kholer

Are marijuana and cannabis different? Is one a medicine and the other not? Both terms are used to refer to the subject, but the choice of one or the other determines the direction of the information, its reception and interpretation; in addition to being a growing controversy regarding prejudice related to the topic.

Various studies have already made us aware that marijuana has been present in humanity for thousands of years. In Asia, records of over 2,500 years have been found demonstrating the use of the plant recreationally, the use of hemp fiber (for over 3,500 years), and its seeds as food, as well as the extraction of oils and its medicinal use. In ancient Hindu scriptures, cannabis is found as a component of Ayurvedic medicine. Egyptian scrolls dated around 1,500 B.C. carry recipes using the plant as treatment for numerous health conditions. Thus, we see that cannabis has always been part of the development of various societies, naturally, just like other medicinal plants, but this scenario has changed, and today, marijuana is surrounded by a significant and solid controversy.

The process of criminalizing cannabis, introducing it in comparisons to highly harmful drugs, and the mistaken association of its use with negative behavioral aspects result in the harsh discrimination we currently observe. The shift in humanity's view stems from ideological, social, and racial issues. The topic deserves an entire article for itself, but on the edges of this ocean of rejections, there is a little-discussed topic that is probably unnoticed by many: Is there a difference between the terms marijuana and cannabis?

The answer is simple: No! There is no difference; we are talking about exactly the same thing! But what does this have to do with the taboo surrounding the subject? Let’s analyze this detail camouflaged in the entire context.

The scientific name of the plant is Cannabis Sativa, a herbaceous plant from the Cannabaceae family. It is popularly divided into hemp and marijuana (note that both words are formed exactly from the same letters), differentiated by the psychoactive cannabinoid, THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). There is less than 0.3% THC in hemp, which is a subspecies of cannabis sativa intended for the manufacture of fabric, paper, beer, oils, resins, and fuels, and its seeds are a food of great nutritional value.

Marijuana, on the other hand, carries a high concentration of cannabinoids (CBD, THC, among others), and through it, most of the extractions that enable the production of medicines and therapeutic products for the treatment of a wide range of diseases are obtained.

The medicinal application of THC encompasses great potential in treating conditions such as glaucoma, inflammation, appetite stimulation, and provides palliative care for cancer patients. The psychoactive effects allow for adult and recreational use, which triggered the segregation and depreciation of the term marijuana. In media outlets, for example, cannabis is used to designate medicinal purposes, while marijuana is used when reporting criminal-related episodes.

In popular language, various pejorative terms are attributed to adult users, precisely because of the distorted idea of the effects of the substance, which is constantly referenced to the more excluded classes of society and to groups experiencing experiences related to freedom, deconstruction, and opposition to traditional models.

Labeling and intolerance obscure and hinder the dissemination of information about the benefits and use of marijuana in medicine, in addition to the constant controversies that resurface regarding legalization and the advancement of research, inhibiting the development of a promising market, both for the economy and for the significant contribution to a new approach to the health and well-being of humanity. The great wall of prejudice can be torn down through a chain of honest and responsible information!