Planta Med 2011; 77 - P_4
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1273533

Botany of Cannabis sativa L.: Identification, Cultivation and Processing

S Chandra 1, H Lata 1, AM Galal 1, IA Khan 1, 2, 3, MA ElSohly 1, 4
  • 1National Center for Natural Product Research, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA
  • 2Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA
  • 3Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • 4Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA

Cannabis sativa L. belongs to the family Cannabaceae. Indigenous to temperate regions of Asia, the plant is now distributed worldwide. It is a monospecific plant (Cannabis sativa L.) that is divided into several subspecies (C. sativa subsp. sativa, C. sativa subsp. indica, C. sativa subsp. ruderalis, C. sativa subsp. spontanea, C. sativa subsp. kafiristanca). Cannabis sativa is typically a dioecious species, i.e., male and female flowers develop on separate plants. Morphologically, it is difficult to differentiate between male and female plants at the vegetative stage since sexual dimorphism occurs late in plant development. However, after the onset of flowering, male plants can be differentiated from female ones. The sexual phenotype of cannabis occasionally shows flexibility that leads to differentiation of hermaphrodite flowers or bisexual inflorescences from other types, i.e., a monoecious phenotype. Due to the allogamous (cross fertilization) nature, this species is highly hybridized and found to be in different varieties/strains with variations in morphology, color and chemotypes. In the present study, a detailed monographic account of Cannabis sativa L. including taxonomy, geographical distribution, macro and microscopy of leaf and stem, powder analysis, indoor and outdoor cultivation, harvesting, processing, storage, its possible adulterants and biomass quality control is provided.

Acknowledgement: This work was supported in part by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services, USA, Contract No. N01DA-10–7773.