The Male Marijuana Plant is Stuff Stoners Like

Male vs female cannabis

Male and female weed plants are pretty unique. One main reason is that they are dioecious. This means that in nature there are both male marijuana plants and of course female ones too. Very few flowering plants possess this characteristic. The vast majority (over 80%) of flowering plants are hermaphroditic. That means each individual flower is comprised of both male and female sexual organs. The fact that male and female weed plants exist separate from one another allows for what’s known as genetic recombination—you can basically combine ‘em to create exciting new strains that combine the best traits of both parents. When it comes to a hermaphrodite or monoecious (where separate male and female flowers exist on the same plant) plants both male and female sexual organs are produced by the same plant—if it self-pollinates it will produce offspring whose DNA is identical to the parent. This lack of variation can very quickly lead to inbreeding and weakened genetic health. However when a pot plant gets stressed, no matter if it’s a male marijuana plant or female cannabis plant, it has a tendency to self-pollinate by transforming into a hermaphrodite. Anyhow a healthy male pot plant will not only  ensure long-term viability of the species it’ll deliver many other benefits. So here are some reasons to keep a male marijuana plant happy in your garden.

A male marijuana plant is perfect for breeding

A high-quality male cannabis plant is a must for any cannabis breeding program. Since male marijuana contributes to half of the DNA that’ll make up the subsequent offspring it’s important to select a male cannabis plant that possesses advantageous traits so it can produce offspring that will retain those traits.

Some cannabis trials like growth rate, health and resistance to mold, hermaphroditism and pests can be distinguished quite easily. Just observe how those male plants grow. And of course some male cannabis traits are more difficult to distinguish like flavor and potency. Because it’s virtually impossible to discern what traits from the male marijuana plant will carry over to its offspring the value of the male is typically determined by its offspring. Breeders will then keep only the boy pot plants that deliver the best results.

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A male cannabis plant can contribute to hash and concentrates

Most of the time hash is made from female cannabis flowers. However sometimes male cannabis flowers are accidentally added to the mix because they weren’t culled from the cannabis garden. Sure traditional hash-making areas such as Morocco and Lebanon remove the male plants from the field early to prevent pollination, but sometimes they get left behind.

We’ve heard of growers and breeders using the flowers, leaves and stems from male marijuana plants to make hashish and concentrates with varying degrees of success. Because the  overall resin content of male marijuana is likely to be fairly low these guys usually use a large number of male plants or extraction methods using butane or hexane—think BHO. We’ve even heard of some growers using their male cannabis plant to make cannabutter and various other oils and infusions.

Male weed plant juice

We’ve heard that some growers use a male cannabis plant to make raw juice. Many people believe that cannabinoids in their acid form may have some pharmacological benefits similar to their familiar non-acid form without the psychoactivity. Since males contain the same cannabinoid acids as females just in differing concentrations and ratios they can be juiced. Juice male cannabis leaves just as you’d juice the leaves from a female cannabis plant. Avoid the thick stalks and maybe the biggest fan leaves to minimize bitterness—then drink it down and stay healthy.

Male marijuana plant fiber

The fibers from a male marijuana plant and male hemp are considerably finer and softer than female fibres. Male marijuana plant fibre was traditionally reserved to make the finer grades of cloth such as tablecloths, towels and bed linens while the females were used to make rougher textiles like canvas and sackcloth.

A male weed plant makes a good companion

Marijuana has been used as a pesticide and a repellent throughout history. Light up a joint and the squares are so repelled they go running. But in all seriousness dried marijuana flowers and leaves exert antibacterial and antimicrobial effects so they’ve been used to make pesticides and repellent extracts for ages. Plus pot makes a pretty cool companion plant. Various studies have been performed over the years that attest to the ability of cannabis to ward off unwanted pests. You can plant a male marijuana plant alongside:

• Cotton to ward off cotton worms
• Vegetables to ward off cabbage caterpillars
• Potatoes to protect against potato beetle and potato blight fungus
• Wheat to repel root maggot

Plus male and female weed plants have also been used as a general repellent against European chafer larvae, noxious chickweed, the potato cyst nematode, the root knot nematode and the soybean cyst nematode.

A female marijuana plant can coexist

Anyhow some growers actually grow male and female pot plants in the same garden. They just ensure that the female marijuana plant population isn’t too close to the male. Maybe they’re screened off or in a grow tent to avoid a completely seeded crop. What these pragmatic growers are seeking is a light dusting of marijuana pollen so they can produce potent female flowers while also guaranteeing a supply of fresh, healthy seeds for the next season’s crop.

What are you thoughts on male vs female marijuana plants? Have you ever grown a male pot plant to score some free marijuana pollen and make some seeds or perhaps for any other reason? Let us know why as well as how it turned out in the comments below…