# Hemp

> Hemp is cannabis grown for fibre, seed or other uses and, in many laws, defined as Cannabis sativa with no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/hemp.html
- Also written: industrial hemp, hemp plant, hemp cultivar, fibre hemp, fiber hemp
- Glossary category: Legal and regulatory · Evidence: Established
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

Hemp is *[Cannabis sativa](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/cannabis-sativa.md)* L. grown for fibre, grain, oil or low-THC flower and extracts. Botanically it is the same species as drug-type cannabis. The legal difference is chemistry: many jurisdictions define hemp as cannabis with no more than 0.3% [THC](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thc.md) on a [dry-weight basis](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/dry-weight-basis.md), though they differ on which THC counts (delta-9 THC only, or total THC including [THCA](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thca.md)) and which plant parts are sampled.

## In practice

The US federal definition since 2018 used 0.3% delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis, with pre-harvest testing rules later moving toward total THC; Congress has since changed the federal definition again with effect around late 2026. Canada and the EU also use a 0.3% THC threshold for hemp cultivation under their own rules. A crop that tests "hot" above the limit may have to be destroyed.

Many fibre and grain hemp cultivars are [monoecious](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/monoecious.md), bred on purpose to carry male and [female flowers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/pistillate-flower.md) on one plant. That is a deliberate agricultural trait, not the norm for drug-type cannabis.

Rules differ by country, state, province and city, and change often. This is a general definition, not legal advice: check local rules.

## Don't confuse with

- **Drug-type cannabis**: same species, high-THC [chemotype](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/chemotype.md).
- **CBD flower**: often legally hemp, but grown and sold as smokable flower.

## Related terms

[Marijuana](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/marijuana.md), [Total THC](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/total-thc.md), [Compliance testing](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/compliance-testing.md), [Monoecious](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/monoecious.md), [Chemotype](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/chemotype.md)

## Read more

- [Indica, sativa and ruderalis: what the names really mean](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/genetics-history/indica-sativa-ruderalis.md)
- [Cannabis plant biology: the parts and what they do](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/basics/cannabis-plant-biology.md)

## Sources

1. Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Pub. L. 115-334, sec. 10113 (definition of hemp, 7 U.S.C. 1639o).
2. Sawler J, Stout JM, Gardner KM, et al. 2015. The genetic structure of marijuana and hemp. PLOS ONE 10(8):e0133292. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0133292