Cultivars of Hemp
‘Grass’ or 'weed' is a term that may refer to certain forms of Cannabis sativa or Indian Hemp. Hemp is an annual plant, which can grow to a height of 8 metres. It originates from Central Asia, but it now exists in many different forms or cultivars. There are two main groups of the cultivars – northern (sub-speciessativa) and southern (sub-species indica) cultivars.
Over the centuries, the plant has had a number of uses. In Elizabethan times, it was cultivated in this country as a crop – ‘hempland’, as it was sometimes termed by surveyors. The harvested material yielded a salt-water resistant fibre or hemp.
The hemp stems were cut and then soaked in ponds – a process called retting. This separated out the fibres (from the bast), which could then be used for a variety of purposes, specifically, the making of rope. The fibre has since been used for various other purposes - making insulation material for car doors, paper (first used for this in China, many years ago) and canvas. Its water-resistant properties made it ideal for the later; the word canvas derives from cannabis). The seeds of the plant are a source of hemp seed oil, which may be used in the making of varnishes and soap. Hemp seeds are sometimes found in ‘bird seed’. Hemp seeds are rich in omega-3 oils.
The southern cultivars of C. sativa have been used as a source of psychotropic drugs (marijuana, marihuana, grass, weed or pot) and, as such, it is a significant cash crop in a number of countries. The plant’s products have been used throughout recorded history to induce physiological and psychological changes.
Comments on this article
Artur 22 December, 2011
can weed give you brain damage?
jason abbott 2 March, 2012
Weed cant damage your body although when smoked with tobbaco can damage your lungs but to anyone who smokes hash it can seriously damage you so i advise on smoking just the plant and weed can damage your brain but not give you brain damage it has also been used for HUNDREDS of cures