hemp – Encyclopedia Britanica
hemp, plant of the genus Cannabis (family Cannabaceae) that is cultivated for its fibre (bast fibre) or its seeds, which contain about 30 percent oil and may be eaten. Hemp is sometimes confused with the cannabis plants that serve as sources of the drug marijuana and the drug preparation hashish. All three products (hemp, marijuana, and hashish) contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a compound that produces psychoactive …