There is a lot of talk about Cannabis but what exactly is it.
I remember sitting in Biology (now called Life Sciences) classes in school and then in university and studying and drawing pictures of plant classifications. In general, the sequence is as follows: Class -> Subclass -> Order -> Family -> Sub-Family -> Tribe -> Sub-Tribe -> Genus -> Species -> Variety (See https://www.americanmeadows.com/plant-classification for more detailed explanation of each).
Simplistically and for the purpose of answering the above question lets focus on the “Family” -> “Genus” -> “Specie” -> “Variety”.
The Family
In the “Family” of plants each member shares many botanical features. This is the highest classification group normally referred to. Modern classification assigns a type of plant to each family as an example of that family’s characteristics as distinguishable from other families. The names of families end in "aceae" and in this context the correct name is “Canabaceae Family” of plants.
The Genus
Next, we will refer to the “Genus” which is a group of related plants. The similarity among members of a genus may or may not be obvious. But taxonomists have determined that, due to certain features, these plants are related and thus classify them in the same genus. Genus names are often derived from Latin or Greek words, mythological figures, or plant characteristics. It might therefore come as a surprise to some that the Hops Genus (from which beer is made) is within the same family as the “Cannabis Genus”. It will however come as a surprise to most people that this is the point where the reference to the word “Cannabis” ends and should end.
The Specie
The next level in the plant identification process is the “Specie” and, a species is a type of plant having certain characteristics that differentiate it from other members of the genus, and which retains these distinctions through successive generations. The “Specie” name is the basic unit of classification. It describes one kind of plant within the genus and is almost always an adjective. By itself, the species name is meaningless. Within this context there are three species i.e. the Sativa Specie, the Indica Specie and the Ruderalis Specie. The word “Cannabis” is at this point no longer used.
The Varietal
Finally, we get to the “Variety” of plant and to receive this added piece of nomenclature, a plant must be only slightly different from other species in the group but not different enough to be granted its own species name. The variety is also the physical plant that you can touch and see. Within our context there are two distinguishable “Varieties” i.e. Marijuana (or Dagga as many of my friends call it) and Hemp Each of these two varieties have their own unique uses and agricultural requirements.
Bottom Line
The bottom line is that there is no such a thing as a “Cannabis plant”. The often referred to combination of “Cannabis & Hemp” does not exist. To develop a “Cannabis Industrialisation Plan” and not deal with both varietals as two completely separate and differentiated opportunities, each with its own regulated frameworks and agricultural needs is just ignorant. To create your website or your company name and front as “Hemp” while it is in fact medicinal Marijuana that you deal with is false representation in the not-too-distant future might land you in trouble due to false advertising.
Hemp and Marijuana (or Dagga) is NOT the same thing and there is no need to talk about “Cannabis production” if you are farming Marijuana (or Dagga). Similarly, one typically do not refer to a “Triticum farm” when growing wheat nor do you refer to a “Gossypium farm” when growing cotton etc. For the Hemp industry to succeed we are going to need to take action and educate people as to the thousands of uses of Hemp compared to that of medicinal or recreational Marijuana (or Dagga).
Comments