Marijuana marijuana plant seedscontain the main proportion of phenolics that form two major groups, lignans and phenolic amides. Lignans are phenols that originate from the shikimic acid biosynthesis pathway, in particular they are derived from cinnamic acids such as coumaric and caffeic acid. These phenolics are known to have multiple properties related to human and animal health, although their exact role in this respect is not well understood.

During the long history of C. sativa L. cultivation, different intended uses of this crop have led to the artificial phenotypic selection of specific features useful for increasing the yield and/or quality of the products produced by commercial interests. This has caused the emergence of many C. sativa L. varieties with a wide range of genotypic and phenotypic characteristics, resulting in the formation of “crop-weed complexes”, in which domesticated forms in cultivation develop morphological characters very different from their domestic progenitor, while ruderal (wild) forms developed in cultivation areas acquire morphological features that are very close to those of their wild parent [26].

Weed Wonders: Exploring the Diversity of Seeds for a Flourishing Cannabis Garden

From the Darwinian perspective, these C. sativa L. varieties cannot be considered as distinct species because they can interfertile. The varieties or cultivars (cvs) selected for industrial purposes are characterized by a low THC level and are commonly called hemp. They are mainly dioecious cvs adopted for seed production and some of them are monoecious cvs that can be used for fibre production.