Cannabis sativa L. has served us well for thousands of years. Since ancient times various parts of the Cannabis plant have provided food, medicine, clothing, paper, fuel, building materials and more to humanity. Cannabis was the most widely prescribed folk medicine in Europe and the Americas prior to the age of synthetic pharmaceuticals and still figures in the religious practices of some cultures. In fact, from around 2000 B.C. until 1883 Cannabis was the largest agricultural crop on the planet, and ranked in the top three medications globally during this period. Around 1910 these traditional uses came under political pressure initiated by the American, British, Egyptian and South African governments.
In modern times the Cannabis family of plants is separated into three main groups: consumable Cannabis, industrial hemp, and Cannabis ruderalis. Hemp and ruderalis plants do not contain noticeable amounts of THC and will not impart any drug effect. Concerning the medical and recreational plants, these may be divided into four sub-classifications: Sativa, Haze, Indica and Afghan. Sativa and Haze plants are generally taller and have more space between the leaf intersections (internodes) due to their origins in tropic, sub-tropic and equatorial climates. Their leaves tend to be thinner and slightly less green than their Indica or Afghan counterparts, which originate instead in central Asia. In fact, many historians, botanists and anthropologists believe that the Hindu Kush Mountains are the birthplace of weed. These cold mountainous regions produce short, compact bushy plants with wide and often very dark green leaves.
Only the female Cannabis plants are consumed, as their pistils produce trichomes or resin glands containing chemical compounds responsible for the drug effect of the plant. Some of these cannabinoids are actually non-psychoactive, however as precursor drugs their presence is necessary for intoxication to take place. There are also male Cannabis plants, which closely resemble mature hops plants. In fact Cannabis is also distantly related to the nettle plant.
There are a few plants that may cause confusion in a greenhouse or grow room; these are known as hermaphrodites and inter-sex plants. Hermaphrodites contain both genders on the same plant and may be female- or male- dominant. Inter-sex plants contain an equal mix of both genders. All mixed gender plants should be disposed of as they contain unstable breeding information (genetics) and will cause seeds to appear in the crop, thereby changing the drug content.
