Zerodha's Nikhil Kamath Plans To Invest In Hemp Based Start-ups CEO and co-founder of Zerodha, Nithin Kamath, took to Twitter to talk about the differences between hemp and marijuana.

CEO and co-founder of Zerodha, Nithin Kamath, took to Twitter to talk about the differences between hemp and marijuana. He also spoke about how he would be allocating capital to startups which are working on hemp after there has been regulatory clarity regarding the matter.

Kamath spoke about a common misunderstanding which a majority of people have regarding the two plants, since both come from the same family. Due to this, hemp is confused with marijuana, because of which it isn't as popular.

Kamath shared photos which helped explain the difference between both the plants too.

"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. Unlike its notorious cousin, hemp doesn't get you high. Partly why it isn't popular," he tweeted.

Kamath also said that he came to know about hemp when assessing a startup which was working on hemp protein.

"We're now convinced about allocating capital to startups working on hemp, but we're also seeking regulatory clarity. This discussion in the @RainmatterOrg Grove forum helped too," Kamath tweeted.

Kamath said that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India approved hemp seeds for human consumption, "but the notorious cousin and the tainted family are bound to create issues."

"Some states, like Uttarakhand, are working on a policy on hemp. It will be awesome to get input from anyone who has spent time on this," Kamath had added. In India, some of the well known hemp start-ups are Bombay Hemp Company in Mumbai, Hemp Foundation in Uttarakhand, Hempsters in Hyderabad, Satliva in Bangalore and Namrata Hemp Company in Bangalore.