Cannabis Sativa Plant

The 'Cannabis Sativa' plant is perhaps one of the most easily identifiable plants of the plant kingdom. Its cultivation is banned in many countries because of its use as a narcotic. However there are a lot of medical uses of this plant too. It has been cultivated since ancient times for a variety of reasons, like making paper, fiber and oil. If you want to know more about this plant then continue reading.

The cannabis sativa plant, more commonly known to us as marijuana falls under the taxon of wild or feral plants. In some countries, it is also referred to as hemp and pot. Many countries have issued laws to stop the cultivation of the cannabis sativa plant. A single plant of cannabis sativa is worth a thousand dollars. Historical records show that this plant has been cultivated and used for different purposes, since 1500 years.

Features:

Detailed study is not required to identify the cannabis sativa. Each leaf palmate is divided into 5 to 7 toothed leaflets. The flower parts are not easily detectable to the human eye. The flower parts are generally 0.2 inches long. The marijuana tree can reach up to a height of 4 meters and has a very stiff and fibrous stem.

Region:

The cannabis sativa plant is a native of Central Asia (mainly India and China) and Europe where it has been cultivated for centuries. It can also be cultivated in regions with tropical and temperate climates. Though the cultivation of this plant is banned in the United States, the Department of Agriculture (U.S.A) records show that its domain is spread in almost all the states, except Arizona, Nevada and Mississippi.

Habitat:

In the wild, Cannabis Sativa may be found in abandoned fields, which were previously cultivated for fiber. The plant requires moist clay soil, rich in acidic and alkaline components.

Cannabis Sativa as a health drug:

In the second half of the nineteenth century, Cannabis Sativa was the second most prescribed drugs by medical practitioners for almost all ailments. The flowers of these plants contain 'cannabidiol' that is used for medicinal purposes. The female flowers contain more active chemicals as compared to the male flowers. Their main medical use is that of a sedative, analgesic, antispasmodic and anti-emetic. The drug is also used to increase hunger. Another important drug that can be extracted from cannabis sativa is 'Tetrahydrocannabinol '(THC). Delta 9 THC, Delta 8 THC and cannabinol are also used to retard the growth of lungs in Lewi's lung adenocarcinoma. Herpes simplex virus is also replicated by Delta 9 THC.

Other uses of Cannabis Sativa:

The seeds of cannabis sativa are a valuable source of protein and are used for feeding caged birds. Their flowers are used for preparing tinctures, tea and ointments. Right from the early days, when the cultivation of Cannabis Sativa began, it was a primary source of hemp oil for wick lamps, fiber and paper. Even now some researchers argue that the cultivation of cannabis sativa should be made legal, as the oil from this source burns cleanly and the fiber and paper that is produced from its stem, is of superior quality. The oils from these plants are mainly extracted from the female flowers. Fiber is mainly extracted from the stems of the male cannabis sativa plants. The seeds of this plant are crushed and pressed to make varnish.

Cannabis Sativa as a narcotic:

The use of this plant as a narcotic caused governments of many countries to ban its cultivation. Three types of narcotics can be extracted from three different parts of the plant. The dried leaves and flowers are the main source of the drug called 'hashish', 'ganja' is produced from dried unfertilized inflorescences of some special female plants and the crude form of its resin is the main source of the narcotic 'charas'. The strength of the narcotic varies from plant to plant. Humans also react differently to these narcotics. These toxic drugs cause muscular in-coordination, dizziness, vomiting, dry mouth, dysarthria and difficulty in concentrating and walking.

Cultivation and growth:

Each plant of cannabis sativa can contain either male or female flowers, but not both. Thus if pollination is desired then both the varieties should be present in the same cultivation area. Pollen grains flow with wind, from the male flowers to the female flowers, which normally grow in clusters. Some drug plants have also been grown on an experimental basis from stem cuts but the resulting plant did not have the same amount of drug content as the parent. The best season for planting cannabis sativa is early spring. The plants grow fast and mature within five to six months.

Trading of cannabis sativa forms a major part of the black market. Eminent personalities have also accepted to have tried the drugs, extracted from these plants, at least once in their lifetime. Though many scientists and botanists suggest that smoking of cannabis sativa is less harmful as compared to tobacco, the immediate after-effects forced the governments of number of countries to put an end to its commercial cultivation.