Billionaire Nithin Kamath explains marijuana, hemp difference: 'It doesn't get you high'

Zerodha co-founder and CEO Nithin Kamath on Saturday too to Twitter to explain the difference between marijuana and hemp while elaborating on the latter's benefits as a superfood and clarifying that unline marijuana, hemp "doesn't get you high".

"Hemp belongs to the Cannabis sativa family—the same as marijuana. They look similar, but hemp is versatile and has multiple uses, including as a superfood. It's also good for the planet," Kamath said. "Unlike its notorious cousin, hemp doesn't get you high. Partly why it isn't popular."

The billionaire entrepreneur added that because they look alike and come from the same family, hemp is often mistaken for marijuana -- one of the reasons why it isn't mainstream.

Explaining why he chose to spread awareness about the cannabis family, Nithin Kamath said, "I learned about hemp when evaluating a startup working on hemp protein. We're now convinced about allocating capital to startups working on hemp, but we're also seeking regulatory clarity."

He also shared details of a similar discussion on the website of Rainmatter Foundation -- NGO formed by Kamath which supports organisations and projects for climate action.