Everything You Need to Know About the Marijuana Plant

Did you know that there is more than just one type of marijuana plant? This guide will help you not only understand the different types of marijuana plants, but also where they are grown and the specific parts of the marijuana plant including:

• The History of the Cannabis Plant
• The Difference Between Male and Female Plants
• The Anatomy of the Cannabis Plant
• FAQs About the Cannabis Plan
  
  

Male and female marijuana plants are not created equal. While both are important in the growth cycle, the female plants are the ones responsible for producing cannabis buds.³ 
 

Female marijuana plants are highly valued for their ability to produce cannabis buds that contain high concentrations of cannabinoids and terpenes. These buds, which develop at the nodes along the plant’s branches, are resinous with a dense, sticky texture. Female plants can be identified by their small, white pistils, which are hair-like structures that emerge from the nodes. These pistils are the reproductive organs of the plant, which also indicate the plant’s potential to produce the much-desired buds.³

Male marijuana plants, on the other hand, can be identified by their pollen sacs, which look like small, round clusters. These sacs are responsible for producing and dispersing pollen, which fertilizes female plants and leads to seed production. Male plants, however, do not develop the resinous buds, but focus on producing pollen.³
 

Cannabis plants have a unique, often-recognized plant structure. Cannabis leaves sprout from a long, thin stem that’s covered with nodes. Wondering what each of these parts of the plant look like and how they contribute to the growing cycle? Here is more information about the biology of our favorite plant:

The cola refers to a cluster of buds. Plants have many of these closely-knit groups, but one stands out as the primary cluster, positioned at the top of the plant.⁴ The cola is sometimes also called “bud site” and it contains:⁵

• Cannabis flower: This consumable part contains various compounds: trichomes (multicellular appendages that produce cannabinoids), cannabinoids (chemicals of the cannabis plant responsible for various psychoactive and non-psychoactive effects), terpenes (plant compounds that produce distinct plant scents), and the reproductive elements of the female plant.
  
  
• Sugar leaves: These small, colorful leaves found all over the flower contain very little trichomes, and are often saved to make trim.
  
  
• Bract: These tiny leaves protect the reproductive parts of a female plant, safeguarding the seed pod.
  
  
• Pistil and stigma: The pistil is the primary reproductive part of the female plant and includes an ovule (seed sac). Thin hair-like structures from the bract will catch the male pollen.

Outside of the cola, other important plant parts support its function.⁵

This is the point at which the stem connects to the leaves. It first indicates to growers whether a plant is male or female. The male will grow pollen sacs instead of flowers.⁴

The stem holds the plant structures up and transports nutrients and water into those structures so they can grow and develop properly.⁴

These iconic leaves are usually discarded.

Cannabis plants are primarily categorized by one of three types: indica, sativa, and hybrid.⁶

As the name suggests, a hybrid plant happens through the combination of sativa and indica genetic materials. In other words, the male and female plants came from different types (sativa, indica, or another hybrid).⁶ Growers breed hybrid plants in an attempt to generate subtle differences in user experience, which can vary by person. This also allows growers to differentiate their cannabis brands from others based on the percentage of the plant that is sativa or indica. There are hardly any pure indica or sativa strains, since almost all dispensary products are hybrid.

Hemp refers to non-intoxicating cannabis varieties most commonly used for fiber, which can be used in textiles. To be classified as hemp, a cannabis plant must have no more than 0.3% THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, and should, therefore, provide no psychoactive effects.⁶

Now that you know the basics about cannabis plants, you may have more questions. Here are some of the frequent questions we hear at our dispensary and answers to these questions.

Is cannabis a weed?
Cannabis is a native-growing plant which can grow wild without human intervention. It can, therefore, be classified as a weed depending on the definition used.

Can you smoke marijuana leaves?
You can, and it is technically possible to experience psychoactive effects. However, the amount of THC found within marijuana leaves is very small, so you would need a lot of leaves to experience any effects.⁸

What's the difference between indica and sativa?
Indica is a fast-growing, cold-weather climatized cannabis plant, while sativa is acclimated to longer growing seasons and grows taller. Indica is believed to have more relaxing effects, while sativa is believed to be uplifting. However, individual responses vary. Modern research suggests these effects are more accurately attributed to specific cannabinoids and terpenes rather than the plant type itself.⁹

Now that you know more about the anatomy of a cannabis plant, you can learn more about what’s available and the strain that’s right for you by chatting with the budtender at your local dispensary. 
 

Sources:

1. "History of Cannabis," endocannabinoidmedicine.com, https://www.endocannabinoidmedicine.com/history-of-cannabis/

2. "Origins of Weed," leafly.com, https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/origins-of-weed

3. "Female vs Male Weed Plants," leafwell.com, https://leafwell.com/blog/female-vs-male-weed-plants

4. "Marijuana Plant Anatomy," leafly.com, https://www.leafly.com/learn/growing/marijuana-plant-anatomy

5. "Parts of Cannabis Plant," weedmaps.com, https://weedmaps.com/learn/the-plant/parts-of-cannabis-plant

6. "Differences Between Cannabis Types," leafly.com, March 14, 2023, https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/sativa-indica-and-hybrid-differences-between-cannabis-types

7. "Cannabis Evolution and Ethnobotany," ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, April 15, 2021, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8517044/

8. "Can Leaves Get You High?" cannaconnection.com, https://www.cannaconnection.com/blog/11497-can-leaves-get-you-high

9. "Indica vs Sativa," verilife.com, https://www.verilife.com/learn/indica-vs-sativa