Marijuana Botany An Advanced Study: The Propagation and Breeding of Distinctive Cannabis
by Robert Connell Clarke
FOREWORD vii
INTRODUCTION ix
PREFACE xiii
CHAPTER 1 Sinsemilla Life Cycle of Cannabis
CHAPTER 2 Propagation of Cannabis 13
CHAPTER 3 Genetics and Breeding of f Cannabis 49
CHAPTER 4 Maturation and Harvesting of Cannabis 129
Introduction
Cannabis, commonly known in the United States as marijuana, is a wondrous plant an ancient plant and an ally of humanity for over ten thousand years. The pro- found impact Cannabis has had on the development and spread of civilization and conversely, the profound effects we've had on the plant's evolution are just now being discovered.
Cannabis was one of the earliest and most important plants placed under cultivation by prehistoric Asian peoples. Virtually every part of the plant is usable. From the stem comes hemp, a very long, strong fiber used to make rope, cloth, and paper renowned for durability. The dried leaves and flowers become the euphoriant, marijuana, and along with the root, are also used for numerous medi- cines. The seeds were a staple food in ancient China, one of their major "grains." Cannabis seeds are somewhat unpala- table and are now cultivated mainly for oil or for animal feed. The oil is similar to linseed and is used for paint and varnish making, fuel, and lubrication.
Cultivated Cannabis quickly spread westward from its native Asia and by Roman times hemp was grown in almost every European country. In Africa, marijuana was the pre- ferred product, smoked both ritually and for pleasure. When the first colonists came to America they, quite naturally, brought hemp seed with them for rope and home-spun cloth. Hemp fiber for ships' rigging was so im- portant to the English navy that colonists were paid boun- ties to grow hemp and in some states, penalties were imposed on those who didn't. Prior to the Civil War, the hemp industry was second only to cotton in the South.
Today, Cannabis grows around the world and is, in fact, considered the most widely distributed of all culti- vated plants, a testimony to the plant's tenacity and adapt- able nature as well as to its usefulness and economic value. Unlike many plants, Cannabis never lost the ability to flourish without human help despite, perhaps, six millennia of cultivation.
Whenever ecological circumstances permit, the plants readily "escape" cultivation by becoming weedy and estab- lishing "wild" populations. Weedy Cannabis, descended from the bygone hemp industry, grows in all but the more arid areas of the United States. Unfortunately, these weeds usually make a very poor grade marijuana.
Such an adaptable plant, brought to a wide range of environments, and cultivated and bred for a multitude of products, understandably evolved a great number of dis- tinctive strains or varieties, each one uniquely suited to local needs and growing conditions. Many of these varieties may be lost through extinction and hybridization unless a concerted effort is made to preserve them. This book pro- vides the basis for such an undertaking.
There are likely more varieties of marijuana being grown or held as seeds in this country than any other. While traditional marijuana growers in Asia and Africa, typically, grow the same, single variety their forebears grew, American growers seek and embrace varieties from all parts of the world. Very potent, early-flowering varieties are especially prized because they can complete maturation even in the northernmost states. The Cannabis stock in the United Nations seed bank is at best, depleted and in dis- array. American growers are in the best position to prevent further loss of valuable varieties by saving, cataloguing, and propagating their seeds.
Marijuana Botany-the Propagation and Breeding of Distinctive Cannabis is an important and most welcome book. Its main thrust is the presentation of the scientific and horticultural principles, along with their practical ap- plications, necessary for the breeding and propagation of Cannabis and in particular, marijuana. This book will appeal not only to the professional researcher, but to the mari- juana enthusiast or anyone with an eye to the future of Cannabis products.
To marijuana growers who wish to improve or up- grade their varieties, the book is an invaluable reference. Basic theories and practices for breeding pure stock or hybrids, cloning, grafting, or breeding to improve quali ties such as potency or yield, are covered in a clear, easy- to-follow text which is liberally complemented with draw- ings, charts, and graphs by the author. Rob Clarke's drawings reflect his love of Cannabis. They sensitively capture the plant's elegance and ever-changing beauty while being always informative and accurately rendered.