Economical Possibilities For Cannabis :: Botany

Economical Possibilities For Cannabis There are many economical possibilities for Cannabis, the plant is highly resourceful in many ways and could be the agriculture wonder child (plant) for the next century for those that haven't taken advantage of it's resources. This paper will do an over view of some of the important resources that can be produced from of Cannabis. Cannabis sativa is a high, vertical annul herb that is able to grow to heights ranging from 3.3 to 16.4 ft. The Cannabis plants are wind-pollinated, with male and female flowers developing on separate plants. Male flowers are yellow in color and up to 1/5 inches long with no petals. A leafy covering with thick, glandular hairs surrounds the female flowers; the hairs are present on the leaves and stem. ( The uppermost leaves mostly have only one leaflet; the rest are palm-like with about 3-11 tooth leaflets per leaf. The variety has a great deal to do with the form of the plant, some varieties are grown for fiber (hemp) which has fewer branches than those are grown for other purposes. The seeds are able to germinate at temperatures above 1o C, during the growing season it needs temperatures of about 15 o- 25 o C and a nice amount of rainfall. (1) Cannabis seems to have originated somewhere in Central Asia and was cultivated for its fiber. The herb has been grown in China for at least 4,500 years, it is thought to have reached Europe by 1500 BC. By 500 AD, it had become a significant fiber crop for this part of the world.( The narcotic properties were known in India by 100 BC, this aspect of the plant was not recorded in Europe until later. The drug was not introduced to Western medicine until 1840. The production of the fiber requires the seed to be sown thickly, with harvesting happening between four to five months after sowing. The male plants produce the best fiber and are usually harvested first, the female plants are allowed to stand in order for the first seeds to be collected. (2) The production of the drug requires the plant to be sown thinly. The procedures in India require that the plants are planted in rows and thinned when 8 inches high. The male plants are pulled out as soon as they can be recognized , while the unfertilized female plants are allowed to continue growing until they are about five month older.