Modern Canna
When it comes to producing recreational and medical marijuana, the female plants are generally the star of the show. Many don’t realize that cannabis plants have a gender, but to those who grow it, breed it and process it into edibles, oils and other therapeutic products, sex matters a lot.
While cannabis is able to self-pollinate, the plant has distinct “male” and “female” characteristics, meaning it is dioecious. Male plants have earned a lowly reputation among cannabis growers, but the masculine crop does, in fact, offer some useful purposes.
Usefulness of male cannabis plants
Male plants are not as potent in the psychoactive cannabinoids as females, but they still contain a decent share of medicinal properties that make them useful for individuals who suffer from health issues, including everything from anxiety and chronic migraines to Parkinson’s Disease.
When you want ultra-high concentrations of THC, CBD and CBN, the females are best. But male cannabis leaves have terpenoids as well. Terpenes are the fragrant compounds that enhance symbiosis between cannabinoids, a singularity known as the “entourage effect.” Some studies have shown that cannabis strains bred for their terpene levels can enhance and broaden clinical applications.
Another interesting fact: males leaves contain higher amounts of cannabinoids than their flowers (the reverse of females) and can make their own resin glands.
And male marijuana plants can produce smokable and palatable buds, if you don’t mind a few errant seeds.
Male plants are pollen producers
Perhaps most importantly, male plants are the pollen producers. This sticky pollen can be harvested and processed into a robust resin.
Other parts of the plant can also be utilized for a variety of purposes. Some people actually juice the stems and water leaves, to extract vital nutrients. Discarded plant parts can be further processed into medicinal lotions and creams, which contain low levels of cannabinoids.
The insect-repelling terpenes in males make them terrific companion plants. Put them around the perimeter of your crop to ward-off unwanted pests.
For those who are interested in improving the flavor, potency and resiliency of their cannabis crops, male seeds have a lot to offer. The males can be used to breed specific strains with favorable genetic traits, be it higher CBD levels or plants less prone to root disease and damage.
Florida testing lab for cannabis gender
Modern Canna Science is a leading medical cannabis testing laboratory located in central Florida. Our high-tech services analyses and <A href=”/about/quality-control/”>hemp quality control</a> procedures are used by distributors, cultivators and health care professionals alike.
Unsure about the gender of your cannabis plants? Looking for signs of pre-flowers on cannabis plants is not always simple, particularly with auto-flowering crops. These pre-signs of gender normally reveal themselves after 6 weeks from planting, with the females showing white, wispy pistols and the males growing immature pollen sacs that resemble tiny grapes.
Gender identification can be a confusing and slow process. Get fast, accurate results with a cannabis sex test at Modern Canna Science – Florida’s trusted source for cannabis testing services.
Additional Resources:
- LeafWell, The Importance of Male Cannabis Plants https://leafwell.co/blog/the-importance-of-male-cannabis-plants/
- Seattle Weekly, The Many Genders of Cannabis https://www.seattleweekly.com/food/the-many-genders-of-cannabis/
- 420 Big Bud, What to do with male cannabis https://420bigbud.com/male-vs-female-cannabis-difference/