Difference Between Male And Female Cannabis

PLANT SEX

Plants have sex - and it is probably stranger than you might have thought. They still miss the social constructs to swipe, or sex, but give them some evolutionary time and I’m sure we would all be surprised. On a more serious note, plants can be male, female or hermaphrodite - some plants reproduce asexually, by making clones, so their sex isn’t determined.

Cannabis Sativa, i.e. the cannabis plant, usually has differing male and female plants, although sometimes plants can be hermaphrodites - meaning they display both sexes. Female plants produce female flowers, and male plants male flowers - or in the case of a hermaphrodite, you can see both male and female flowers.

Male flowers contain pollen - the male reproductive cell. Female flowers contain eggs - the female reproductive cells. When female plants are pollinated, the eggs develop into seeds.

WHY DIFFERENTIATE MALE AND FEMALE CANNABIS

While both male and female cannabis plants have flowers, they are very different. The female flower is the one usually consumed. While there is no harm in consuming the male flower it is lower in cannabinoids, and thus the effects are diminished.

Most importantly, male plants will pollinate female plants resulting in an abundance of seeds in female flowers. Seed production is said to lower cannabinoid levels, e.g. THC. When exposed to heat, seeds crack with a distinguishable and loud sound and are said to cause headaches. Seeds present in cannabis flowers meant for consumption are best avoided as they are a sign of careless or novice growers.

HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE MALE AND FEMALE CANNABIS

Male plants have thicker stalks, but have less dense leaves than female plants. Recognizing the cannabis plant sex like this is hard and best left to the seasoned eye.

Looking for differences in preflowers is the most convenient method of determining plant sex. Preflowers are most easily found on the joints, i.e. nodes, on the stalk. Male preflowers have a rounder shape, while female a pointier one with white hairs eventually coming out of them - the hairs are called pistils. Waiting for the pistils to show is a certain way of recognizing female plants

Cannabis plant goes through two distinguishable phases in its life cycle - vegetative, and flowering.

In the vegetative phase, the plant is rapidly growing with its sexual organs growing at a slower rate. Some 6 weeks into the vegetative phase you preflowers should give signs of plant sex.

The flowering phase is all about developing the plant's sexual organs - flowers. If you can’t determine the sex in the vegetative phase, 3 weeks into the flowering phase is when all plants should show their sex.

Male plants should be removed from female to prevent pollination. When it comes to growing, a hermaphrodite plant should be considered as male because it has the same potential to pollinate female plants.