BEHIND THE SCIENCE
CANNABIS PLANT
Cannabis is a perennial, usually dioecious plant which means that the female and male flowers are stacked on different plants, requiring wind to pollinate the flowers. Under the right conditions, the plant can grow up to 6 meters tall in 4-6 months. Cannabis prefers light and humidity, so it often grows on riverbanks and meadows that are well exposed to sunlight (Klumpers and Thacker, 2019).
BEHIND THE SCIENCE
CANNABIS PLANT
Cannabis is a perennial, usually dioecious plant which means that the female and male flowers are stacked on different plants, requiring wind to pollinate the flowers. Under the right conditions, the plant can grow up to 6 meters tall in 4-6 months. Cannabis prefers light and humidity, so it often grows on riverbanks and meadows that are well exposed to sunlight (Klumpers and Thacker, 2019).
Cannabis reproduction
Female plants contain ovary, while male plants carry the pollen. After pollination, the seeds mature in the female plant and the male plant dies. However, the female flowers are used for recreational and medicinal purposes, and when the cannabis plant starts to mature the seeds, the growth of the flowers slows down. This has led to the introduction of vegetative reproduction methods such as cloning, where part of the mother plant is cut off and planted, rather than seed propagation. Vegetative propagation allows the female plant to be reproduced without pollination, making the male plant redundant. As a result, the female cannabis plant produces larger flowers as it no longer has to expend energy on maturing the seeds. Cloned plants are also identical to the parent plant, which allows the desired species to be preserved and further cultivated. In contrast, hemp grown from seed takes over the genes from both parents, thus producing new species (Emboden, 1981).
Classification
Cannabis is a monotypic plant with only one genus – Cannabis sativa L. There is no consensus on a single classification of species, but botanically there are 2 subspecies based on different characteristics, C. sativa subspecies sativa and C. sativa subspecies indica (Farag and Kayser, 2017). Cannabis cultivated for medicinal purposes, or otherwise marijuana, is usually a hybrid of these two subspecies. Recreational cannabis growers refer to sativa and indica as ‘strains’ and say that the sativa strain is more tonic, energising and hallucinogenic. In contrast, the indica strain is more calming and relaxing (Klumpers and Thacker, 2019). However, this distinction between varieties and the effects they produce is not based on science. For example, if a grower claims that marijuana consists of 70% indica and 30% sativa strains, he has made a subjective decision based on his own experience, as there is no single agreed system for evaluating varieties. As a result, today’s cannabis growers have developed a large number of hybrid varieties that can be grown both indoors and outdoors, but there is no classification of these varieties.
Active ingredients
Female cannabis flowers produce a variety of active substances, including 113 different phytocannabinoids. Our bodies also produce cannabinoids called endocannabinoids. The most well-known phytocannabinoids produced by cannabis are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (abbreviated THC) and cannabidiol (abbreviated CBD). THC is the psychoactive substance that produces the feeling of being ‘high’, while CBD does not produce this state and can help to reduce the side effects caused by THC. Cannabis also produces substances such as terpenes, which contribute to the taste, smell, and other substances (Klumpers and Thacker, 2019).
Usage
The uses of the cannabis plant are wide-ranging and growing, with an estimated 25,000 products containing cannabis. The stalk is used in the paper, textile, construction, furniture, agricultural and even energy industries because of its strong fibre. The seeds have become very popular in the food and cosmetic industries, thanks to their near-ideal omega 3:omega 6 ratio, and the oil pressed from the seeds, the protein, flour extracted from the seeds are used in a wide range of products, such as pasta, chocolate, hand cream, lipstick. Essential oils are extracted from the flowers and leaves, which can be used as flavourings in food or cosmetics (Crini et al., 2020).
It is important to note that industrial hemp is different from medical cannabis/marijuana. Hemp is grown in such a way that it does not produce flowers, so hemp has a very low THC content and a higher CBD concentration. In the European Union, the THC concentration in a product cannot exceed more than 0.2%. Medical cannabis, on the other hand, has a higher THC concentration, with a THC to CBD ratio of up to 1:1 (Freeman et al., 2019).
Active ingredients
Female cannabis flowers produce a variety of active substances, including 113 different phytocannabinoids. Our bodies also produce cannabinoids called endocannabinoids. The most well-known phytocannabinoids produced by cannabis are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (abbreviated THC) and cannabidiol (abbreviated CBD). THC is the psychoactive substance that produces the feeling of being ‘high’, while CBD does not produce this state and can help to reduce the side effects caused by THC. Cannabis also produces substances such as terpenes, which contribute to the taste, smell, and other substances (Klumpers and Thacker, 2019).
Usage
The uses of the cannabis plant are wide-ranging and growing, with an estimated 25,000 products containing cannabis. The stalk is used in the paper, textile, construction, furniture, agricultural and even energy industries because of its strong fibre. The seeds have become very popular in the food and cosmetic industries, thanks to their near-ideal omega 3:omega 6 ratio, and the oil pressed from the seeds, the protein, flour extracted from the seeds are used in a wide range of products, such as pasta, chocolate, hand cream, lipstick. Essential oils are extracted from the flowers and leaves, which can be used as flavourings in food or cosmetics (Crini et al., 2020).
It is important to note that industrial hemp is different from medical cannabis/marijuana. Hemp is grown in such a way that it does not produce flowers, so hemp has a very low THC content and a higher CBD concentration. In the European Union, the THC concentration in a product cannot exceed more than 0.2%. Medical cannabis, on the other hand, has a higher THC concentration, with a THC to CBD ratio of up to 1:1 (Freeman et al., 2019).
Bottom line
Cannabis cultivation is now experiencing a renaissance due to its increasing potential for use. New reproduction methods have led to the development of cannabis production, but the lack of a unified system, decisions of the political and economic structures, has led to a suspicion of cannabis products. At Recepa, we aim to introduce you to cannabis through science and to discover this unique product.
References
Crini, G., Lichtfouse, E., Chanet, G. and Morin-Crini, N. 2020. Applications of hemp in textiles, paper industry, insulation and building materials, horticulture, animal nutrition, food and beverages, nutraceuticals, cosmetics and hygiene, medicine, agrochemistry, energy production and environment: a review. Environmental Chemistry Letters. 18(5), pp.1451–1476.
Emboden, W.A. 1981. Marijuana Botany. An Advanced Study: The Propagation and Breeding of Distinctive Cannabis. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 13(4), article no: 395 [no pagination].
Farag, S. and Kayser, O. 2017. The Cannabis Plant: Botanical Aspects. In: Preedy, V.R. ed. Handbook of Cannabis and Related Pathologies: Biology, Pharmacology, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Germany: Elsevier Inc., pp.3–12.
Freeman, T.P., Hindocha, C., Green, S.F. and Bloomfield, M.A.P. 2019. Medicinal use of cannabis based products and cannabinoids. BMJ (Online). 365, article no: 1141 [no pagination].
Klumpers, L.E. and Thacker, D.L. 2019. A brief background on cannabis: From plant to medical indications. Journal of AOAC International. 102(2), pp.412–420.