Cannabis Reproduction
Cannabis reproduction is similar to almost all reproductive creatures on earth, a male and female get together and create babies. Clearly this is done in different ways among many species. However, in about 12% of the plant kingdom, male plants grow alongside the female plants, and when they reach maturity and those pollen sacs are ready to burst, they open and flood the nearby female plants with pollen. The females in turn receive this pollen through the air via a slight breeze which attaches itself to what is called the females pistols. These pistols are covered in a sticky, resinous residue specially designed to capture the pollen. The female plant is now pollinated, and through a botanical chemical reaction this activates the reproductive cycle, producing flowers and seeds for the next generation of plants. Cannabis is one of the few plants in the world that does not require an insect pollinator, it relies on what is called anemophily, in which the pollen is transported by air currents from one plant to another. Only about 12% of the world's flowering plants are pollinated in this way, including most grasses, many trees, and of course the cannabis plants. This is the reason one male plant among a crop of females can pollinate and ruin an entire grow-op in one shot, depending on the goal of the crop. If this is a specific seed crop, no problem. If it's a commercial bud production crop, then you have a big problem on your hands. All of those girls will start producing seedy, low potency buds if exposed to a pollinating male plant.
Identify Cannabis Plant Gender
Identifying a cannabis plants gender can be tough, there may be no obvious differences until it's far too late to save your crop. Learning how to spot the differences early on is a very important skill when dealing with unsexed seeds, which will matter in all cultivation circumstances. One male plant in a commercial crop of females can completely destroy the entire crop. It's not possible until the vegetative cycle to notice any of the slightest differences between male and female plants. There are no guarantees, but here are some signs to watch for. Male plants may quickly become larger and more robust looking than their female counterparts, appearing much bushier and larger than the females in the vegetation phase. Once flipped into flower is when you need to be particularly vigilant, inspecting each plant carefully as they mature. You will need a magnifying glass to help notice the miniscule differences that start to appear while the male pollination sacs develop. In between the stem nodes is where the first signs of the female pistols will appear, and the pollination sacs of the males also begin to develop. In the beginning they will look almost identical, but as the days pass, the males will develop what look like two tiny, round ball sacs, similar to testicles, whereas the females will not. This is the make it or break it point. If you see anything resembling these sacs forming, remove and destroy the plant immediately before they open and pollinate your crop.
Male Cannabis Plants
Many people mistakenly confuse male cannabis plants for hemp plants. They believe hemp is the male counterpart of the marijuana plant. This is not the case, as hemp is a completely separate genus of cannabis that does not contain the psychoactive THC of marijuana. The male cannabis plants are the male sexed version of the marijuana plant that is utilized to cultivate and breed all those new and improved cannabis strains we have on the market today. Marijuana has both male and female sexed plants that in nature, grow in groups and cross pollinate to produce the next generation of marijuana. In the industry males are mostly used for crossbreeding new strains and for seed bank production. Other than that, they are not cultivated in the commercial marijuana market as a consumption bud producer. Just one rogue male within a crop of females can pollinate and ruin an entire harvest. Male plants do produce flowers, but they are generally very sparse and of low quality compared to female cannabis buds. In nature, males will grow in a crop intermingled with the female plants and as they mature, they will develop tiny pollination sacs that will burst open releasing pollen that then pollinates the females, triggering them to produce the flowers and seeds required for the next generation of mixed sex plants. No insect pollinators necessary, cannabis is one of the rare air pollinators. The males rely on the breeze to spread their pollen throughout the crop, sticking to the female pistols, and the cycle continues.
Female Cannabis Plants
Female cannabis plants are the true rock stars of the cannabis world, the producers of those incredible, dank, delicious flowers we all know and love. Being so adored by the human race, other than maybe the apple the cannabis plant has managed to become one of the most evolved and varied plant species on earth. The female marijuana plant is the one that produces flowers that contain the many active compounds called cannabinoids and terpenes. Males also contain these compounds, but not nearly to the extent of the females of the species. Because of this, the flowers of female marijuana plants have been highly sought after ever since the discovery of the original landrace phenotypes. Throughout many ancestral generations and thousands of strain crossbreeds, it has all led to the intricate, almost unrecognizable hybrids of today. Containing over 100 different types of cannabinoids, cannabis plants are oozing with benefits. The obvious being THC which contains the psychoactive component of cannabis, there’s medicinal CBD, and the new cannabinoid, CBG, which has now been discovered to have many highly beneficial curative qualities. The female marijuana flower encapsulates so many multitudes of different cannabinoids and terpenes, science has yet to even begin to discover the endless benefits they may contain. The curatives and medicinal properties of these incredible botanical compounds have been claimed to relieve a multitude of ailments such as arthritis, inflammation, mood disorders, anxiety, depression, diabetes and much more. It has even been said to cure cancer. The scientific and medical community hasn't even begun to discover the full potential of this miracle plant.
Hermaphrodite Cannabis Plants
Hermaphrodite cannabis plants are basically what one would expect. A plant with both male and female sex characteristics, they produce both male and female flowers and seeds. This is an actual natural trait of the genus cannabis plant but is not very desirable in the commercial market as hermaphrodite plants tend to produce very seedy, low-quality flowers. A hermaphrodite crop can lose you money as the costs of running a high tech grow-op has a tight margin for error. There are two reasons hermaphrodite plants may form, either genetically, or through environmental stresses. If you are purchasing seeds from a reputable seed bank you shouldn’t have any issues with hermaphrodites. Cloning will guarantee you get an exact replica of the mother plant you are cloning from, so if it's not a hermaphrodite, no problems. Let’s focus more on the environmental factors that can cause hermaphrodite plants to form. If a female plant feels extremely stressed or threatened it may form a few clusters of pollination sacs in order to self-pollinate to speed up the seeding process, therefore guaranteeing the propagation of the next generation of plants. Cannabis is a very evolved plant, the fact that it has the ability to shift into a double sexed plant, self-pollinate, and reseed before it dies, is quite an extraordinary trait, but clearly not a desirable one for commercial cultivators. Keeping your female plants happy, well cared for, and in the most ideal environmental conditions as possible should guarantee you don't run into any issues with hermaphrodites.
Why Keep Male Cannabis Plants
If you are interested in cannabis botany and would like to try your hand at creating new and improved strains of your own, or if you would like to produce a seed crop for the burgeoning seed market, then there are some great reasons to keep some male marijuana plants around. If you are also planning on cultivating female plants commercially for cannabis products or personal use, always be extremely cautious that your male plants are nowhere near your female crops. Even the tiniest amount of pollen from one male is enough to pollinate an entire crop of females. If you would like to try your hand at breeding a new strain and have found a few favorites with particular characteristics you love and think would make a great combination, such as a very potent and dank high THC strain combined with an extra-large yield plant, you may just end up with a perfect combination of two amazingly complementary traits in one strain. There is big money to be made in the marijuana breeding industry if you can create the next hot hybrid, millions in fact. This is why there are entire industries devoted 24/7 strictly to cannabis breeding, and seed banks selling new and improved hybrids every day. If you would like to create a crop of females specifically for seed production, then it's good to have some pollinators on hand to get those girls producing seeds. Seeds can sell for a lot of money if it's a high demand strain. A little weed juice also never hurts, juice up some of those leaves and enjoy the health benefits!
Should I Grow Male or Female Plants?
Choosing whether to grow male or female plants depends entirely on the outcome you are looking for. Both plants have their purpose in the commercial cannabis industry or personal use reasons. If you are looking to produce a marijuana cash crop then obviously you will grow strictly female sexed plants from female clones or seeds. Clones from a female mother plant are guaranteed to be female, while buying female sexed seeds from a quality seed bank are generally always 100% female. If you purchase unsexed seeds you will need to watch them closely as they mature to make sure there are no male plants in the bunch that could pollinate and ruin your crop. If you are interested in crossbreeding strains then you may want to grow both male and female plants together and let them naturally pollinate each other, creating a new strain of hybrid seeds. You can always help the process along by transferring the male pollen to the female pistols using small brushes or Q-Tips. Seeds banks are constantly developing new hybrid strains and growing both male and female plants for cross pollination, ideally combining the best traits of the two strains. Rarely do people grow strictly male plants. Many people mistakenly assume male marijuana plants are hemp, but hemp is an entirely different genus of cannabis unrelated to marijuana. Hemp is basically marijuana without the THC psychoactive cannabinoid content and has no mind-altering effects when smoked. Male marijuana plants do contain some THC and can deliver a very mild high.
Can I Pollinate Male Plants With Male Plants?
No, you cannot pollinate male plants using other male plants. Female plants can cross pollinate themselves and each other when under extreme duress, which is sometimes purposely induced in order to create clone seed crops, but males cannot do this. Males produce only pollen sacs and small flower clusters with low THC and terpene contents. Male plants have basically one main purpose in life, and that is to pollinate the females. They cannot become hermaphrodites or produce seeds. The only way for the males of the cannabis species to survive is to pollinate a female plant to pass on its genetics. They are obviously useful to crossbreed new and improved hybrids and for pollinating the females when creating new seed strains for seed bank companies. Without the boys we wouldn't have the massive array of incredible hybrids and strains we have today. A few people even prefer to grow and smoke male plants, as they have a much lower psychoactive THC content than the females. Those that used to smoke a little 7% THC reefer from back in the day might appreciate rolling a joint with a few male marijuana leaves and relive that old school 70’s buzz. Most of the THC is stored in the leaves of male plants during the vegetative cycle so if you are going to try a little 70’s smoke, or whip up a batch of weed juice, use the vegetative leaves of the plant to do it and enjoy yourself a nice light buzz.
