What is hemp? Hemp vs marijuana, CBD and uses

Hemp is Cannabis sativa grown for fibre, seeds and CBD, from varieties with so little THC that they don't get you high. Botanically it is the same species as marijuana. The difference is chemistry and law: in the EU, hemp fields must use varieties with no more than 0.3% THC, and Switzerland draws the line at under 1% THC.

What is hemp?

Hemp is the name for Cannabis sativa varieties bred and grown for their stalks, seeds and flowers rather than for intoxication. Farmers grow it for fibre (from the stalk), for seeds (food, feed and oil) and for CBD and other cannabinoids (from the flowers).

What makes a plant "hemp" is not how it looks but how much THC it contains. Hemp varieties produce mostly CBD and only traces of THC, the compound that causes a high. Lawmakers turn that chemical difference into a number: a legal THC limit.

Is hemp the same as weed?

No, although they are the same species. "Weed" or marijuana means the dried flowers of cannabis plants bred for high THC. Hemp varieties are bred the other way, for low THC. A 2003 breeding study found that a single gene locus largely decides whether a plant makes mainly THC or mainly CBD [5].

The gap in THC is large. In US police seizures analysed over two decades, the THC content of illicit cannabis rose from about 4% in 1995 to about 12% in 2014 [6]. EU hemp varieties must stay at or below 0.3%.

For the history of the words cannabis, marijuana and hemp, see the difference between cannabis, marijuana and hemp.

Does hemp have CBD?

Yes. Cannabinoids and terpenes are made in tiny resin glands, the glandular trichomes, which are concentrated on the female flowers [7]. That is why CBD is extracted from hemp flowers and leaves, not from the stalk or the seeds.

Hemp seeds contain far less. They can still carry traces of cannabinoids, which is why the EU has capped THC at 3.0 mg/kg in hemp seeds and 7.5 mg/kg in hemp seed oil since 1 January 2023 [3]. Hemp seed oil sold for cooking is not CBD oil. Our guide to hemp oil vs CBD oil shows how to tell them apart on a label, and what is CBD explains the compound itself.

Can hemp get you high?

No. Hemp varieties are bred to contain too little THC to cause the high associated with marijuana. CBD itself is not intoxicating; see CBD vs THC for how the two compounds differ. Products made from hemp can still contain traces of THC, which matters for drug tests, so check the THC figure on the certificate of analysis (how to read one).

Is hemp legal? THC limits by region

Hemp is legal to grow in the EU, Switzerland and the US, but each sets its own THC limit, and rules for products made from hemp are separate again.

• European Union: under the Common Agricultural Policy, "areas used for the production of hemp shall be eligible hectares only if the varieties used have a tetrahydrocannabinol content not exceeding 0,3 %" (Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, Article 4(4)) [1]. This limit decides which hemp fields get farm payments under the CAP rules that started in 2023. National drug laws decide what may be sold, and they differ between member states.
• Switzerland: the Federal Office of Public Health states that hemp with a THC content of less than 1% does not fall under the Narcotics Act, while cannabis with 1% THC or more counts as a narcotic [2].
• United States: federal law defines hemp as Cannabis sativa with no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis. An amendment passed in November 2025 changes this to total THC, including THCA, from 12 November 2026 [4].

In short, the law treats low-THC hemp as a farm crop, not as a drug.

What is hemp used for?

Almost every part of the plant has a use. According to the European Commission, hemp goes into textiles, food and feed from the seeds, building materials, paper, plastic substitutes, cosmetics, biofuels and CBD extracts [8].

Textiles and paper

Hemp fibre is long and strong. It was used for rope and sailcloth for centuries and is now woven into clothing, bags and home textiles. Hemp can also be pulped for paper.

Building materials

Hempcrete is a mix of hemp shives, lime and water. It insulates against heat and sound and is used as infill within a structural frame, not as a load-bearing replacement for concrete. Hemp fibre is also pressed into insulation mats and boards.

Climate and soil

The European Commission estimates that one hectare of hemp sequesters 9 to 15 tonnes of CO2, about as much as a young forest, while the crop needs only about five months to grow. Hemp has few natural pests, so insecticides, herbicides and fungicides can be avoided in most cases [8]. Its deep taproot opens up the soil for the next crop, which makes hemp useful in crop rotation.

Plastics and batteries

Hemp fibre and shives are used in bio-based plastics and composites. A bio-based plastic is not automatically biodegradable; that depends on its formulation. Hemp carbon has also been tested in supercapacitors, but published like-for-like tests showing that "hemp batteries" outperform lithium-ion batteries are still lacking.

Seeds and CBD

Hemp seeds are eaten hulled or pressed into oil, and they are used in animal feed where national rules allow. The flowers are the raw material for CBD extracts; see how CBD is derived from hemp. Our outdoor hemp is mainly used for our CBD oils.

Where is hemp grown?

In the EU, the area under fibre hemp grew from 20,540 hectares in 2015 to 33,020 hectares in 2022. France grows more than 60% of EU production, followed by Germany (17%) and the Netherlands (5%) [8].

Our own hemp grows in Central Switzerland. In Robin Roy Krigslund-Hansen's experience, Switzerland's dry weather suits hemp: it grows much better here than in moister regions such as parts of the Mediterranean. For sowing, harvest and indoor vs outdoor growing, read how hemp is grown, and for the plant's past, the history of hemp.