Portal:Cannabis

Introduction

Common hemp

Cannabis (/ˈkænəbɪs/ ^ⓘ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species being recognized: Cannabis sativa, C. indica, and C. ruderalis. Alternatively, C. ruderalis may be included within C. sativa, or all three may be treated as subspecies of C. sativa, or C. sativa may be accepted as a single undivided species.

The plant is also known as hemp, although this term is usually used to refer only to varieties cultivated for non-drug use. Hemp has long been used for fibre, seeds and their oils, leaves for use as vegetables, and juice. Industrial hemp textile products are made from cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fibre.

Cannabis also has a long history of being used for medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug known by several slang terms, such as marijuana, pot or weed. Various cannabis strains have been bred, often selectively to produce high or low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a cannabinoid and the plant's principal psychoactive constituent. Compounds such as hashish and hash oil are extracted from the plant. More recently, there has been interest in other cannabinoids like cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), and cannabinol (CBN). (Full article...)

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Kentucky was the greatest producer of hemp in the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries, when it was the source of three fourths of U.S. hemp fiber. Production started to decline after World War I due to the rise of tobacco as the cash crop in Kentucky and the foreign competition of hemp fibers and finished products. In 1970, federal policies virtually banned the production of industrial hemp during the war on drugs saying all Cannabis sativa is a Schedule I controlled substance. Federal law under the Agricultural Act of 2014 allowed research back into hemp. Kentucky began production again with 33 acres in 2014. As of the 2016 harvest season, only two U.S. states other than Kentucky had over 100 acres (40 ha) in hemp production: Colorado and Tennessee. The first 500-acre commercial crop was planted in Harrison County in 2017, and research permits were issued for over 12,000 acres (4,900 ha) that year. The 2016 documentary Harvesting Liberty concerns the 21st century Kentucky hemp industry. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

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Cannabis buds, Blue dream strain

General images

The following are images from various cannabis-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Evolution of cultivated cannabis strains. The cultivar, Cannabis ruderalis, still grows wild today. (from Medical cannabis)
Image 2Male Lemon Kush cannabis plant (12 foot plant) (from Cannabis)
Image 3Indoor grown Acapulco Gold female plant in final stages of flowering (from Cannabis)
Image 4The Ebers Papyrus (c. 1550 BCE) from Ancient Egypt has a prescription for medical marijuana applied directly for inflammation. (from Medical cannabis)
Image 5Japanese Shinto shrine with rope made of hemp (from Hemp)
Image 6A hemp field in Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany, France, which is Europe's largest hemp producer as of 2022 (from Hemp)
Image 7Relative size of cannabis types (from Cannabis strain)
Image 8Cannabis ruderalis (from Cannabis strain)
Image 9An advertisement for cannabis americana distributed by a pharmacist in New York in 1917 (from Medical cannabis)
Image 10Cannabis sativa stem longitudinal section (from Cannabis)
Image 11Medical marijuana dispensary in Denver, Colorado (from Medical cannabis)
Image 12Hemp rope (from Hemp)
Image 13A macro image of hemp seeds (from Hemp)
Image 14Cannabis sativa from Vienna Dioscurides, 512 AD (from Hemp)
Image 15Hemp being grown in Oregon in 2020 (from Hemp)
Image 16A thicket of wild cannabis in Islamabad, Pakistan (from Cannabis)
Image 17Three theories of classification for Cannabis. From left to right, monotypic with three subspecies (A), polytypic consisting of up to three species (B), and single phenotypically diverse species (C). (from Cannabis)
Image 18Male Lemon Kush cannabis Flowers (from Cannabis)
Image 19A young female Acapulco Gold plant (Mexican x Nepalese). Seed grown plant from seeds obtained from a cannabis seed bank. (from Cannabis)
Image 20Cannabis sativa from Vienna Dioscurides, AD 512 (from History of cannabis)
Image 21White Widow (from Cannabis strain)
Image 22Hemp straw animal bedding (from Hemp)
Image 23Books about Cannabis in Barcelona, Spain (from History of cannabis)
Image 24Hemp seed (from Hemp)
Image 25Hemp buds in India (from Hemp)
Image 26The use of cannabis, at least as fiber, has been shown to go back at least 10,000 years in Taiwan. "Dà má" (Pinyin pronunciation) is the Chinese expression for cannabis, the first character meaning "big" and the second character meaning "hemp". (from Medical cannabis)
Image 27Top of Cannabis plant in vegetative growth stage (from Cannabis)
Image 28A male hemp plant (from Cannabis)
Image 29Dried hemp stalks displayed at the International Hemp Fair in Vienna (from Hemp)
Image 30Blue Dream (from Cannabis strain)
Image 31Comparison of physical harm and dependence regarding various drugs (from Cannabis)
Image 32Illustrating various forms of medicinal cannabis (from Medical cannabis)
Image 33Cannabis female flower with visible trichomes (from Cannabis)
Image 34Bhang eaters from India c. 1790. Bhang is an edible preparation of cannabis native to the Indian subcontinent. It has been used in food and drink as early as 1000 BC by Hindus in ancient India. (from History of cannabis)
Image 35Male Cannabis flower buds (from Cannabis)
Image 36Cannabis as illustrated in Köhler's Book of Medicinal Plants, 1897 (from Medical cannabis)
Image 37Cannabis leaf pictured in the coat of arms of Kanepi Parish (from Cannabis)
Image 38Biodiesel sample (from Hemp)
Image 39American medical hashish (from Medical cannabis)
Image 40Cannabis growing as weeds at the foot of Dhaulagiri, Nepal (from Cannabis)
Image 41Hemp and bead jewelry (from Hemp)
Image 42Cannabis flower buds (from Cannabis)
Image 43Underside of Cannabis sativa leaf, showing diagnostic venation (from Cannabis)
Image 44Cannabis Museum in Amsterdam (from Cannabis)
Image 45Acapulco Gold female plant in bloom (from Cannabis)
Image 46Cannabis indica fluid extract, American Druggists Syndicate, pre-1937 (from Medical cannabis)
Image 47Whole hemp seeds (from Hemp)
Image 48Cannabis indica (from Cannabis strain)
Image 49Cannabis sativa (from Cannabis strain)
Image 50A flowering cannabis plant (from Cannabis strain)
Image 51A dried bud, typical of what is sold for recreational use
Image 52The number of publications about marijuana/cannabis according to Web of Science (from History of cannabis)
Image 53Dense raceme of female flowers typical of drug-type varieties of Cannabis (from Cannabis)
Image 54Spanish medicines containing cannabis (1920s) (from History of cannabis)
Image 55Relative size of varieties of Cannabis (from Cannabis)
Image 56Sour Diesel (from Cannabis strain)
Image 57Harvesting hemp in the USSR, 1956 (from Hemp)
Image 58Cannabis ruderalis (from Cannabis)
Image 59The Chinese character for hemp (麻 or má) depicts two plants under a shelter. Notably, the same character also means "numb". Cannabis cultivation dates back at least 3000 years in Taiwan. (from History of cannabis)
Image 60Hulled hemp seeds (from Hemp)
Image 61Cannabis indica fluid extract, American Druggists Syndicate, pre-1937 (from History of cannabis)
Image 62The variety of appearances for cannabis. Only C. sativa (left) is suited for industrial hemp, but it also has medicinal varieties. (from Hemp)
Image 63Legal status of (whole-plant) medical cannabis worldwide (only de jure; may not reflect actual access in these countries)----
Legal as authorized by a physician
Legal for any use (no prescription required)
----See also countries that have decriminalized or where enforcement is limited. (from Medical cannabis)

Did you know...

... that in 2025, the world commemorates the "Centenary of Cannabis Prohibition" which marks a 100 years since cannabis was first listed as a controlled drug under international treaties?
... that actor Tom Cruise does not endorse a potent strain of cannabis called Tom Cruise Purple?
... that the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act proposes that two percent of proceeds from the sale of cannabis promote industrial hemp biodiesel, fiber, protein and oil?
... that Initiative 1068 was filed in January 2010 by Seattle activists hoping to remove criminal penalties from the adult use, possession and cultivation of marijuana in Washington?

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Cannabis in the news

6 February 2026 – Cannabis in North Macedonia: North Macedonian police seize 28 tonnes of cannabis, the largest such haul in the country, from former industrial sites in Skopje and Strumica, link the operation to a recent five-tonne seizure in Serbia, and state that the material originated from licensed medicinal-growing facilities but was diverted for unauthorized use. (Reuters)