The flowers of
Cannabis sativa plants are most often either male or female, but only plants displaying female pistils can be or turn hermaphrodite. Males can never become hermaphrodites. It is a short-day flowering plant, with staminate (male) plants usually taller and less robust than pistillate (female or male) plants. The
flowers of the female plant are arranged in
racemes and can produce hundreds of seeds. Male plants shed their pollen and die several weeks prior to seed ripening on the female plants. Under typical conditions with a light period of 12 to 14 hours, both sexes are produced in equal numbers because of heritable
X and Y chromosomes. Although genetic factors dispose a plant to become male or female, environmental factors including the
diurnal light cycle can alter sexual expression. Naturally occurring
monoecious plants, with both male and female parts, are either sterile or fertile; but artificially induced "
hermaphrodites" can have fully functional reproductive organs. "Feminized" seed sold by many commercial seed suppliers are derived from artificially "hermaphroditic" females that lack the male gene, or by treating the plants with hormones or silver
thiosulfate.
Chemical constituents (THC) Although the main
psychoactive constituent of
Cannabis is
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the plant is known to contain more than 500 compounds, among them at least 113
cannabinoids; however, most of these "minor" cannabinoids are only produced in trace amounts. Besides THC, another cannabinoid produced in high concentrations by some plants is
cannabidiol (CBD), which is not psychoactive but has recently been shown to block the effect of THC in the nervous system. Differences in the chemical composition of
Cannabis varieties may produce different effects in humans. Synthetic THC, called
dronabinol, does not contain cannabidiol (CBD),
cannabinol (CBN), or other cannabinoids, which is one reason why its
pharmacological effects may differ significantly from those of natural
Cannabis preparations. Beside cannabinoids, the chemical constituents of
Cannabis include about 120 compounds responsible for its
characteristic aroma. These are mainly volatile
terpenes and
sesquiterpenes. • α-
Pinene •
Myrcene A 1980 study identifying constituents of
C. sativa established 19 major chemical families (number of chemicals within group): •
Acids (18) •
Alcohols (6) •
Aldehydes (12) •
Amino Acids (18) •
Cannabinoids (55) •
Esters/Lactones (11) •
Flavanoids Glycosides (14) •
Fatty Acids (20) •
Hydrocarbons (46) •
Ketones (13) •
Nitrogenous Compounds (18) •
Non-Cannabinoid Phenols (14) •
Phytocannabinoids (111) •
Pigments (2) •
Proteins (7) •
Steroids (9) •
Sugars (32) •
Terpenes (98) •
Vitamins (1) Cannabis also produces numerous volatile sulfur compounds that contribute to the plant's skunk-like aroma, with
prenylthiol (3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol) identified as the primary odorant. These compounds are found in much lower concentrations than the major terpenes and sesquiterpenes. However, they contribute significantly to the pungent aroma of cannabis due to their
low odor thresholds as often seen with
thiols or other sulfur-containing compounds. A number of specific aromatic compounds have been implicated in variety-specific aromas. These include another class of volatile sulfur compounds, referred to as tropical volatile sulfur compounds, that include 3-mercaptohexanol, 3-mercaptohexyl acetate, and 3-mercaptohexyl butyrate. These compounds possess powerful and distinctive fruity, tropical, and citrus aromas in low concentrations such as those found in certain cannabis varieties. These compounds are also important in the citrus and tropical flavors of
hops,
beer,
wine, and tropical fruits. In addition to volatile sulfur compounds, the heterocyclic compounds
indole and
skatole (3-Methyl-1
H-indole) contribute to the chemical or savory aromas of certain varieties. It possesses a complex aroma that is highly dependent on concentration. ==Cultivation==