Cannabis as
a Plant
Cannabis Processing I
Unit 1
Olive Harvey College Fall 2021
Instructor: Steven C. Philpott Jr.
Crash Course Plant Science Basics
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UvlqAVCoqY
Cannabis: An annual, anemophily,
deciduous, dioecious, angiosperm
• Annual: Yearly life cycle
• Anemophily: Wind pollinated
• Deciduous: Leaf Dropping
• Dioecious: Male or Female sex (93% of all flowering plants hermies)
• Angiosperm: Produced flowers and seeds
• The 3 main species and 5 subspecies with thousands of domesticated
hybrids.
• Chemical profile of 113 cannabinoids, 20 flavonoids, and over 200
terpenes in an endless arrangement among the various chemovar
(strains)
Cannabaceae
• Cannabaceae is a family of flowering
plants that includes about 170 species
including hops, most notably known
for it’s use in brewing beer.
• The cannabis genus includes three
species:
• Cannabis sativa
• Cannabis indica
• Cannabis ruderalis
Origins, Evolution, Speciation, and Taxonomy
• 20,000,000 years old
• Glacial Migration
• Eurasia Origins
Cannabis? Hemp? Indica? Sativa? Marijuana?
• 1753 famous Botanist Carl Linnaeus labeled
hemp a single species by the name of
Cannabis sativa L. (McPartland, 2018).
• 1785 Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, an evolutionary
biologist suggested Cannabis had two
species:
• C. sativa, denoting cannabis cultivated in European
countries used for high quality fiber, and
• C. indica, grown in India and other parts of Asia,
used for medicinal purposes (Pollio, 2016)
• Subspecies of cannabis
• The Indica/Sativa Controversy
• Indica Afghanica (Indica)
• Indica Indica (Sativa)
• *Ruderalis (Auto)
• Cannabis Ruderalis ssp. Ruderalis
• Auto-Flowering Marijuana (AFM)
• Putative Ancestor
• Arctic Circle
• Glacial Migrations
Origin of the term: Marijuana
Origin: Spanish Colonization of United States in Caribbean and
Mexico
1. Hemp plants brought to America to create sailing materials to help
boost cross Atlantic trade.
2. Indigenous South American spiritual ritual tradition of
psychoactive plant usage. God-like quality.
3. Catholic Church against Psychoactive plants
4. Spanish consumed psychoactive plants
5. Only way to Christianize Indigenous was to prohibit psychoactive
plants
6. Spanish needed indigenous to grow Hemp
7. Mary used to Christianize Indigenous
• Mary added to name of plant to hide from Spanish
8. 1846 Pharmacopeia Mexicana*
• Ganja Maria (Respect Mary)
• Rosa Maria (Rose of Mary)
Basic General Plant Anatomy Review
• Roots
• Stems (Shoots)
Roots
• Root, in botany, that part of a vascular plant normally underground.
Its primary functions are anchorage of the plant, absorption of water
and dissolved minerals and conduction of these to the stem, and
storage of reserve foods.
• These are essentially the lifeline of the cannabis plant. When the
roots are not healthy, the entire plant will suffer. Roots take nutrients
and water from the grow medium and deliver it to every part of the
plant.
• Cannabis roots are long and fibrous. There is one primary root,
known as the tap root and secondary roots grow all around it.
Stems (Shoots)
• The main stem grows from the primary root
and then stalks and leaves from there.
• The stem works with the roots as part of the
transportation system.
• The stem also acts as the main support for the
entire plant. This allows other stalks and leaves
to grow up and out, so the plant can reach its
full growth potential.
Cannabis Anatomy
• Inflorescence: The complete flower head of the
plant including stem, stalks, bracts, and flowers.
• Fan Leaf: Sun absorption for photosynthesis
• Flower: Bud, reproductive organ
• Sugar Leaf: Protect plant, full of cannabinoids
• Node: Point on stem where pair of leaves grow
• Bract: Encapsulates the reproductive section
• Pistils grow from bracts
• Pistil: Style and Stigma
1. Sole Purpose: Capture Pollen
2. Style: Structure of Stigmas (Octopus tentacle)
3. Stigma: What capture pollen (Suction cups)
4. Colors:
• White/Yellow: Premature
• Orange/Red: Ripe
• Brown: Overripe
Flower
• Flower is a general term used
to describe the reproductive
part of female plants.
• In terms of cannabis, the
“flower” refers to one
individual
• Cannabis flower is typically the
desired end product of
cannabis cultivators due to its
Cola
• Cola is a botanical term that describes the
flowering site of a female plant.
• The cola actually consists of the entire flower, as
well as its connection to the larger plant.
• The central flower cluster that forms along the
upper portion of the main stems and large
branches in a mature female cannabis plant.
• Colas are composed of tightly woven teardrop-
shaped buds that can grow upwards of 24 inches
when grown in a greenhouse setting.
• Leaves play a very important role in cannabis plant growth. Cannabis leaves absorb all of the light the
plant is exposed to and even some moisture in the air. Through the process of photosynthesis, they also
deliver all those nutrients to the rest of the plant.
• Cannabis leaves can also be defoliated. This means the leaves can be removed at some points during the
Fan Leaves growth process. This is done when there are many fan leaves. Removing some of them allows light and
air to better circulate around the plant. This can result in bigger yields and a healthier plant.
• On the top and bottom of each leaf are stomata. This literally means “mouth” in Greek. These stomata
open and close, depending on conditions. The stomata may close in order to prevent the plant from
becoming waterlogged. When the plant is dry, it may open the stomata fully, in order to absorb as much
water as possible.
• Sugar leaves are smaller
leaves that are found growing
in between flowers /buds.
• “Sugar” leaves name come
from the shiny reflective
surface of the leaf
• Reflective surface comes
from trichomes (See image)
• *Leaf trichomes contain less
potent amounts of
cannabinoids and terpenes and
can be extracted
• Not recommended for
smoking as leaves can
cause harsh inhalation
Sugar Leaves
Nodes
• All plant stems are linked
by nodes and internodes.
Nodes are the parts in a
plant that connect new
stem offshoots with older
growth, which can take
the form a branch, a leaf,
or even a bud.
Node + Internodes+ Gender
• The nodes and internodes can tell you a
lot about the gender of your plants and
whether they are exposed to the right
temperatures or amounts of light. They
also play an important role in pruning
and cloning.
• Hermaphroditic Plants, meaning able to
display both male and female sex
organs
• Once a plant is pollenated its off-spring
is no long 100% female
Calyx/Sepals
• Inside the bract there is a structure invisible to the naked eye is the calyx.
• The sepals (collectively called the calyx) most resemble leaves because of
their generally green color.
• The sepals enclose and protect the unopened flower bud. The calyx is
commonly persistent and evident when the fruit matures
• They are green, shaped like teardrops and heavily covered in resin glands.
This is a small layer covering the ovule at the base of the flower.
Stigma
• The stigma, together with the style and
ovary comprises the pistil, which in turn is
part of the female reproductive organ of
a plant.
• These stigmas look like little hairs. The
female plant hopes that by shooting these
pistils out, it will be fertilized by a male
plant. At that time, it will produce seeds
Pistil:
• The ovule producing part of a flower.
• The mature ovule is a seed.
• Ovary, in botany, enlarged basal portion
of the pistil, the female organ of a flower.
• The ovary contains ovules, which develop
into seeds upon fertilization.
• The ovary itself will mature into a fruit,
either dry or fleshy, enclosing the seeds.
• Two very important parts of the female
cannabis plant anatomy are the stigma
and the pistil.
Trichomes
• “Fine outgrowths or appendages on
plants, algae, lichens, and certain
protists.”
• Originating from the Greek word
“Tríchōma,” meaning “growth of hair,”
• Determine plant health ripeness,
along with pistils
• Trichome density determines
chemistry
• All plants have trichomes
• Production site of Phytochemicals
(Cannabinoids & Terpenes)
https://www.youtube.com/
Trichome Types and Functions watch?v=7CmmTx6Omqk
• Glandular vs Non-glandular Trichomes
• Glandular
• *Capitate Sessile (Head only)
• *Capitate Stalked (Stalk with the head)
• Simple Bulbous
• Complex Bulbous
• Defense Mechanism
• Phytochemicals
• *Glandular head is where chemistry
occurs to produce phytochemicals
• * Phytochemicals produced depend
on genetics, nutrients, and
environment
• Genetics determine TYPE of
compound, ENV effects rate
of production
• *Non-Glandular (Spikes)
• Cystolythic
• No phytochemicals
• Defense mechanism
• Water Absorption
