THE WISDOM OF ANALYZING EXTERNAL ATTRIBUTES TO DETERMINE THE SEX OF THE CANNABIS PLANT IN THE AREA OF SAKON NAKHON PROVINCE

Abstract

The study of the wisdom in sex identification of cannabis plants in Sakon Nakhon Province aimed to investigate the wisdom of analyzing the sex identification of the cannabis plants as male, female and of male, female and hermaphroditic in the area of Sakon Nakhon Province. Data were collected by interviewing six individuals with knowledge of cannabis cultivation and who were licensed for the production of Narcotics Categories 5 (Marijuana only), by cultivation in Sakon Nakhon Province. From data collected, it is possible to classify the sexes of the cannabis plants as follows; the sexes of cannabis plants could be identified since they were seeds by observing the length of the roots that have sprouted from the seeds, the angle of pointing of the first pair of true leaves and characteristics of fangs. However, sex distinction of cannabis plants from the traits mentioned above is not very clear. The appearance of the base of petiole and the mature buds of cannabis are the precise way to distinguish the sex of cannabis plants. The sex identification of the cannabis plants has the medicinal benefits due to the cannabinoids and terpenes are active substance on the central nervous system and mostly found in the buds of female cannabis plants, and the ∆⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol (∆⁹-THC)] is found in the highest amount in the cannabinoids. In Thai traditional medicine, every single part of the cannabis plant is used to make medicine potion according to the recipes for each required property and each part of the cannabis plant provided different properties.