Why does cannabis produce resin?

[David762]

Why does cannabis produce resin?

not just THC but the whole sticky contents of glandular trics

This is one ive wondered about for a while, many think it is a defense against sun/UV, but it is also produced on stems and underside of leaves. perhaps it is a defense against something else?

one hypothesis that ive always had and liked is that the resin is to attract insects for pollination - because although cannabis is wind pollinated, it would (like all wind pollinated plants) have evolved from insect pollinated plants.

EDIT - i should have said all wind pollinated angiosperms evolved from insect pollinated angiosperms (flowering plants) see later in thread



does anyone know or have any ideas or references ?

thanks,

VG

Sorry, no references -- just my $00.02 worth.
The characteristic of resin production in cannabis was likely a defensive response, predominantly in the female, against privation by insects and grazing herbivores. There are no burrs or protective outer shell that facilitates broadcast of the seeds, so the sticky resin may have provided that method of transport.

There's no way to prove this, but willful interference by homo sapiens over 10,000+ years in the cultivation of cannabis had to have an impact on the commonality of this trait. Far more likely that the relationship between cannabis and humanoids began shortly after our ancestors descended from the treetops at least 35,000 years ago.

In a vaguely related question: "Why can't chickens just fly away, you know, migrate like snow geese?"

 

[Sam_Skunkman]

Maybe because man has bred modern chickens for egg production or meat production but not for flying? I am sure all the original wild chickens ancestors that modern chickens are derived from did fly maybe even good flyers, but man would prefer non flyers that were easier to keep domesticated. As well as mans focus on meat or egg production over flying ability.
-SamS

In a vaguely related question: "Why can't chickens just fly away, you know, migrate like snow geese?"

 

[Sam_Skunkman]

What can be done pretty easy is to breed against all CBD or CBD like terpenoids. This is what sinsemilla ganja farmers did, and very successfully. It is trying to tell the difference between CBD and the CBD like terpenoids that it gets really difficult to do just by smoking.
If you smoke the plants and save the seeds of only what you like they will quickly move in the desired direction.
This is why Ganja is almost all THC while hashish is a mixture of Cannabinoids, because hash farmers did not smoke each plant, rather they smoke the resin of many plants and keep the seeds from the plants with the most resin, be it THC or CBD.
-SamS

This part of your posts raises a few questions for me Sam. I was working under the hypothesis that it was individual's selections that moved most populations to high THC low CBD chemovars. If you don't think most people can even tell then how do you imagine that most drug biotypes became set as high THC types?

 

[Thomkal Vwalaa]

Maybe because man has bred modern chickens for egg production or meat production but not for flying? I am sure all the original wild chickens ancestors that modern chickens are derived from did fly maybe even good flyers, but man would prefer non flyers that were easier to keep domesticated. As well as mans focus on meat or egg production over flying ability.
-SamS

True that, commercial chickens have giants breasts. I've seen chicken fly short distances. Some of the less common breeds.

D762: not all birds are migratory, just another piece of the puzzle.

Temperament of Hamburg Chickens:
The breed is apt to fly and tends to be nervous around people.

from: http://www.small-farm-permaculture-and-sustainable-living.com/types_of_chickens.html

I always thought chickens could fly, at least up into trees...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvv5gL1pGb0

 

[Sam_Skunkman]

As there are over 130 Terpenoids, I will not say they are all safe or not, I do not know. If you were going to do this I would at least suggest food or pharmaceutical grade materials, and I don't think putting terpenoids on a joint is anywhere as good as using them with pure THC. Then you know exactly why the changes and what modulated them. If you use Cannabis or resin you may get some good ideas, but the data is not untainted because the herbal Cannabis has contents besides THC, (Cannabinoids and Terpenoids). And I do not want to encourage people to anything that would harm them or others.
-SamS

Thank you. So for the at home lab-rats, a simple test would be adding a few drops of 1-Dimethylethanethiol (skunk) to a joint, and smoking it... or is that dangerous?

 

[GreenintheThumb]

So did you find that CBD like terpenoids were selected against with an equal vigor to CBD itself?

What can be done pretty easy is to breed against all CBD or CBD like terpenoids. This is what sinsemilla ganja farmers did, and very successfully. It is trying to tell the difference between CBD and the CBD like terpenoids that it gets really difficult to do just by smoking.
If you smoke the plants and save the seeds of only what you like they will quickly move in the desired direction.
This is why Ganja is almost all THC while hashish is a mixture of Cannabinoids, because hash farmers did not smoke each plant, rather they smoke the resin of many plants and keep the seeds from the plants with the most resin, be it THC or CBD.
-SamS

 

[Tom Hill]

It's why most of that skunk bud is gone.

 

[mean mr.mustard]

That was also my understanding. But at the same time THC is found in very small amounts in all cannabis plant matter.

I could go ahead and put my in and say that the results could very well be contaminated through the minor involvment of very nearby tissue... but that's just me.

As a scientist that is steered a bit towards particular... these "very small amounts" seem like "percent error".

I'm not against the theory but let me question your all cannabis plant matter... Am I off in considering the THC pathway only instrumental in participation of formation of precursors?

It seems they are limited in their presence and I'm wondering why THC is seemingly assembled far away from its precursors?

Are all of THC's pieces found all over the plant?

It seems I'm alone in thinking that there is certainly accumlation of (at least the majority of) THC in capitate stalked trichomes?

If so please tell me there is a reason it is "found" in the roots.

Scientifically it seems there is less reason and more "fact" that I'm arguing now.

 

[Thomkal Vwalaa]

I could go ahead and put my in and say that the results could very well be contaminated through the minor involvment of very nearby tissue... but that's just me.

As a scientist that is steered a bit towards particular... these "very small amounts" seem like "percent error".

I'm not against the theory but let me question your all cannabis plant matter... Am I off in considering the THC pathway only instrumental in participation of formation of precursors?

It seems they are limited in their presence and I'm wondering why THC is seemingly assembled far away from its precursors?

Are all of THC's pieces found all over the plant?

It seems I'm alone in thinking that there is certainly accumlation of (at least the majority of) THC in capitate stalked trichomes?

If so please tell me there is a reason it is "found" in the roots.

Scientifically it seems there is less reason and more "fact" that I'm arguing now.

You caught me using inclusive language, "all plant matter" is a stretch, and I did not mean to include roots and seeds into that statement. You are not alone in your understanding of THC biosynthesis occurring in capitate stalked trichs, that is where the majority is THC is found. As for lab error = very small amounts... would not rule anything out. I'll try to dig up another paper showing THC in non-flower parts of cannabis.

This is from the link I posted on pg 7:

Marijuana (Cannabis sativa L.) was sampled at nine progressive growth stages in Riley County, Kansas, and analyzed for four major cannabinoids: cannabidiol (CBD), delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-THC), delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC), and cannabinol (CBN). Seasonal fluctuation in cannabinoids were related to stage of plant development. Cannabinoids were lowest in seedlings, highest prior to flowering and at an intermediate level thereafter until physiological maturity. Cannabinoids were highest in flowers and progressively lower in leaves, petioles, stems, seeds, and roots. Cannabinoid content of male and female flowers was not significantly different.

Cannabidiol occurred in the highest concentrations (0.01 to 0.94% of dry matter) in all plant parts; delta-9-THC, the next highest (0.0001 to 0.06%) in the study over time. Cannabidiol content of leaf tissue of plants sampled from ten locations at flowering, ranged from 0.12 to 1.7%; delta-9-THC, from 0.01 to 0.49%. Some variation was attributed to environmental factors.

 

[VerdantGreen]

chickens were bred from junglefowl. junglefowl are poor flyers - they only fly to perch/roost at night in the lower branches of trees.

 

[David762]

Exactly so!

Exactly so!

Maybe because man has bred modern chickens for egg production or meat production but not for flying? I am sure all the original wild chickens ancestors that modern chickens are derived from did fly maybe even good flyers, but man would prefer non flyers that were easier to keep domesticated. As well as mans focus on meat or egg production over flying ability.
-SamS

And the domestication & breeding of cannabis is likely just as ancient as the domestication & breeding of chickens. There is no telling exactly what features attracted early man's attention to cannabis, but I must acknowledge our ancient ancestors good works.

IMHO, it is nothing short of sociopathic misogyny that drives the continued persecution and prohibition of cannabis, a plant that has been valued by homo sapiens for at least 10,000 years. Would that our modern ruling kleptocrats were as enlightened as our ancient ancestors, or as humane.

 

[Thomkal Vwalaa]

IMHO, it is nothing short of sociopathic misogyny that drives the continued persecution and prohibition of cannabis,

don't forget good old fashioned hatred, bigotry, and class warfare.

VG: so that rooster on sesame street was wrong. it is natural for there to be chickens in the trees.

my pit surprised/bit a chicken the other week, that chicken sure enough flew as far as it could, about 30 ft. It wasn't pretty but no damage. But my pit was so pleased to have a mouth full of feathers... and they weren't my chickens lol. Thomkal "offtopic" Vwalaa.

 

[bombadil.360]

I can assure you that simply observing plants will reveal little about what Cannabinoids it may or may not have. Most "expert" smokers when blind tested, could not even tell if a variety had CBD or not, I doubt if very many people can without analysis, it is much more difficult then you imply, but that is my opinion based on working with these issues for years. Maybe I can sometimes, maybe...
I wish it was as easy as you think, and some things for sure were done well before modern analysis was available, if you look at all the high THC only varieties the work was done by indigenous ganja farmers...

from the premise I am discussing, it is of little importance what cannabinoids certain cultivar may or may not have. lets say these are details more suited to modern science and in understanding how the bio-chemical process of cannabis functions.

the important part relating to the 'why', in this case, is the noticeable effects upon our being; and the different uses different cultivars can have in order to treat a variety of conditions.

from this premise, it really does not matter how cultivars come to have the properties they have; what is important is why use certain cultivar for certain things; lets give an example: lets say a man thinks he is sick, even though he is really not, and his thoughts disturb him, make him restless, cannot sleep, has poor apetite, poor sex-drive, etc... so what cultivar would you recommend to him and why?

sadly, after moving, I left behind most of my personal library, amongst which, I had a nice book on native american ethnobotany, where cannabis was prescribed by certain nations in order to treat exactly the situation described in the example above.

but maybe I did add some of the info from the book to the forum a few years ago when I had my other name... will look it up later when time allows.

As for understanding the over 90 Cannabinoids and over 130 Terpenoids and how they synergistically react, no way anyone understands even a small part of the picture, not a few hundred years ago, or even today

agreed.


much peace and good health.

b.360

 

[TruthOrLie]

My theory goes something like this:

I thought Trichomes amplified the suns rays like a magnifying glass?

soooooo... Because MJ makes it far into the rainy/cloudy season before seeds have been completely produced, the Trichomes are there to make sure they get enough photosynthetic energy.

Plus, when a nug fattens up, it makes the whole stem droop downwards. This is a protection against Spider Mites, as they like the top most portion of the plant.

Plus, as the nug droops downwards, the seeds it is producing are closer to the earth and ready to begin the overwintering process before germinating.

Finally, sticky resin glands work wonders at trapping small infestations of flies/aphids.

There's my 2cents.

 

[headband 707]

Very interesting question and a plant never does anything it doesn't need to and have you ever seen a bee caught in the resin of cannabis lol?.. Kinda sad as they get so confused then when you release them they just walk in circles and I have heard they die as do most insects. Then there is the protection from the sun and repelling rain ect... Or like the show " Botany of desire" says they make resin to get us high so we will continue to plant the seeds lol.. peace out Headband707

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdXOeWMwX-4

 

[Sam_Skunkman]

I can't say that for sure as I do not know all of the 130 Terpenoids which are CBD like. And remember some people do like the effects, so they would not have selected against them.
-SamS

So did you find that CBD like terpenoids were selected against with an equal vigor to CBD itself?

 

[Arthur Dent.]

Just My Thoughts.

Just My Thoughts.

From What I have Gathered from simply reading this thread is that some say UV protection some say protection from bugs and such,

But then some say but what about climate,what about predator adaptation?

Well I believe and firmly believe all these aspects are correct, I believe that the resin is both protection from the suns rays as well as bugs, why?

Let me digress, When a plant is grown out doors do you not get much less resin but when grown in the optimal environments we all create its 9 times out of ten going to produce alot more resin as it does not face all these factors indoors, but the light intensity is higher and the plant is closer to the light ???? Hmmmm (well one question answered more of the right light more resin) but it still doesn't complete the answer,What about males? (males are like pawns on a chess board,notice how they can complete their flowering process in minimal light,pawns are there to be sacrificed,a male needs to live until it drops pollen,then its has no more use,If you were nature you would surely make the plant that makes more plants survive for longer?)

So from growing in an optimal environment we see the plant in its optimal form, this i have seen from growing Land race strains (Naturally Selected) the way nature intended,put the plant out side and watch what happens to your resin?

Plants that grow in different climates generally grow differently (Evolved adaptations to particular surroundings) but the overall picture is always very much the same, Marijuana is Marijuana.

I firmly believe resin is marijuanas complete defense and primary reproductive phase mechanism,
1. UV Filters
2. Sticky surface to keep pollen on in the (Wind pollination scenario) as gusts of wind or a bug could push the pistol on tho the captured pollen.
3. And finally little bastard bugs.

oh oh oh and to get us real high.

My last comment is a bit off the topic, but human beings have a THC receptor site in the brain, maybe the plant was simply design for us to use its "intended" purpose, the education that is marijuana. (which is why I believe it can be passed of as a religious herb)

I hope my opinion does not sound stupid to you clever chaps.

and if it does feel free to question.

Namaste

 

[SuperConductor]

There is no telling exactly what features attracted early man's attention to cannabis

I'd put money on it being the smell

 

[mean mr.mustard]

I'd put money on it being the smell

I'd put my money on your money

 

[Sam_Skunkman]

Do you really think that indoor lights have higher lumen's then the sun?
-SamS

When a plant is grown out doors do you not get much less resin but when grown in the optimal environments we all create its 9 times out of ten going to produce alot more resin as it does not face all these factors indoors, but the light intensity is higher and the plant is closer to the light ???? Hmmmm (well one question answered more of the right light more resin) but it still doesn't complete the answer,What about males? (males are like pawns on a chess board,notice how they can complete their flowering process in minimal light,pawns are there to be sacrificed,a male needs to live until it drops pollen,then its has no more use,If you were nature you would surely make the plant that makes more plants survive for longer?)

So from growing in an optimal environment we see the plant in its optimal form, this i have seen from growing Land race strains (Naturally Selected) the way nature intended,put the plant out side and watch what happens to your resin?

Plants that grow in different climates generally grow differently (Evolved adaptations to particular surroundings) but the overall picture is always very much the same, Marijuana is Marijuana.

I firmly believe resin is marijuanas complete defense and primary reproductive phase mechanism,
1. UV Filters
2. Sticky surface to keep pollen on in the (Wind pollination scenario) as gusts of wind or a bug could push the pistol on tho the captured pollen.
3. And finally little bastard bugs.

oh oh oh and to get us real high.

My last comment is a bit off the topic, but human beings have a THC receptor site in the brain, maybe the plant was simply design for us to use its "intended" purpose, the education that is marijuana. (which is why I believe it can be passed of as a religious herb)

I hope my opinion does not sound stupid to you clever chaps.

and if it does feel free to question.

Namaste