Species, subspecies, and varieties
Relative size of cannabis types
The following taxonomic treatment of Cannabis was published in 1976 by Ernest Small and Arthur Cronquist.[1] Other taxonomic treatments of Cannabis are valid, and utilized by some botanists.
Cannabis
Cannabis sativa L.
C. sativa subsp. sativa
C. sativa subsp. sativa var. sativa
C. sativa subsp. sativa var. spontanea
C. sativa subsp. indica
C. sativa subsp. indica var. indica
C. sativa subsp. indica var. kafiristanica
C. sativa subsp. sativa
C. sativa subsp. sativa var. sativa
Correct name: Cannabis sativa L. subsp. sativa var. sativa
This taxon includes hemp landraces and cultivars grown for fiber or seed production. Fiber strains are usually tall and unbranched. Seed strains are often shorter, and may be branched or unbranched. Some strains are monoecious. Plants of certified industrial hemp strains produce a relatively high ratio of CBD to THC (about 20:1), and are not suitable for drug use.[1][2][3]
C. sativa subsp. sativa var. spontanea
Cannabis sativa L. subsp. sativa var. spontanea (C. ruderalis)
Cannabis sativa L. subsp. sativa var. spontanea (C. ruderalis)
Correct name: Cannabis sativa L. subsp. sativa var. spontanea (Vavilov) Small & Cronq.
Synonym: C. ruderalis Janisch.
This taxon includes wild or feral Cannabis plants. In the absence of selective breeding, these plants have lost many of the traits they were originally selected for, and have acclimatized to their locales. Plants of this type are often short, branchless, and early-flowering. The plants usually have low levels of cannabinoids, and a low ratio of THC to CBD, and thus are of little use as a source of drugs.[3] However, so-called "indica" drug strains are sometimes cross-bred with "ruderalis" to produce high THC plants having the hardiness and reduced height of "ruderalis".
The term "ruderal" was originally used in the former Soviet Union to describe populations of hemp that had escaped cultivation and adapted to the surrounding region. Plants of this type are widespread throughout central and eastern Europe, including Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, and Estonia. Similar populations can be found in most of the areas where hemp cultivation was once prevalent. The most notable region in North America is the midwest, though populations occur sporadically throughout the United States and Canada. These plants have escaped from cultivation more recently, and often grow larger than the ruderal plants in Europe.
Cannabis users often call this feral Cannabis "ditch weed." Outside of its native range, it is regarded as an invasive plant. Despite years of government-sponsored eradication programs, these feral plants still remain in bountiful abundance.
It has several times been proposed that this taxon be recognized as a distinct species, called C. ruderalis.[4]
C. sativa subsp. indica
C. sativa subsp. indica var. indica
Broad leaflets characteristic of wide-leafed varieties of C. sativa subsp. indica var. indica
Broad leaflets characteristic of wide-leafed varieties of C. sativa subsp. indica var. indica
Correct name: Cannabis sativa L. subsp. indica (Lam.) Small & Cronq. var. indica (Lam.) Wehmer
Synonym: C. indica Lam.
This taxon includes two types of Cannabis cultivated for drug production,[1] commonly referred to by Cannabis aficionados as "sativa" and "indica".
Some users report that highs from "sativa" strains tend to produce clearer, cerebral "head" highs, whereas highs from "indica" strains produce more lethargic "body" highs, with emphasis on drowsiness, slight loss of motor coordination, and increase appetite ("munchies"). To date, no undisputable chemical or pharmacological basis for these differing effects has been discovered. Anecdotal evidence suggest that variations in the amount of cannabidiol (CBD) may be a factor.
It has often been proposed that this taxon be recognized as a distinct species, C. indica. Most recently, on the basis of genetic, morphological, and chemotaxonomic analyses, Hillig assigned both the narrow-leaflet and wide-leaflet drug "biotypes", as well as southern and eastern Asian hemp (fiber/seed) landraces and wild Himalayan populations, to C. indica.[5][3][6]
C. sativa subsp. indica var. kafiristanica
C. sativa subsp. indica var. kafiristanica in Afghanistan
C. sativa subsp. indica var. kafiristanica in Afghanistan
Correct name: Cannabis sativa L. subsp. indica (Lam.) Small & Cronq. var. kafiristanica (Vavilov) Small & Cronq. Synonym: C. indica Lam. var. kafiristanica Vavilov.
This taxon includes wild or feral plants, mostly confined to the Indian subcontinent and other regions where Cannabis is grown for drug use and has escaped from cultivation. Individual plants may have low, similar, or high levels of THC relative to CBD. Plants with relatively high levels of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabidivarin (THCV) and/or cannabidivarin (CBDV) are also common in this group.[3] Compared with wild or feral plants of var. spontanea, plants of this taxon are often taller and more branched. The achenes are usually very small. The inflorescenses of pistillate plants are often elongated, and the fruits (achenes) drop off the plants as they mature.
