Ruderalis

Cannabis sativa and cannabis indica are well-known to all of us. About ten or fifteen years ago, people have started to talk more also about cannabis ruderalis, a trend which is related to the growing popularity of autoflowering varieties. As the growing guru Jorge Cervantes says: “Botanists still argue whether ruderalis is a distinct cannabis species, or merely a sub-species.”

Origins

The word “ruderalis” is used to denote plants that grow in a certain environment despite the presence of man. Many experts believe that cannabis ruderalis is an offshoot of cannabis indica that adapted to the harsh climate conditions and shorter vegetative periods of the northern areas where the plant had spread from the vicinity of India. It has spread in certain areas of Asia, in Central and Eastern Europe, and especially in Russia, where botanists have used the term “ruderalis” for hemp varieties that escaped human influence and adapted to extreme conditions.

Characteristics

Cannabis ruderalis is a short and caulescent plant which produces neither large amounts of seeds, flowers, nor stems, as it only tends to reach a height of 30–75 cm. The main feature of cannabis ruderalis that sets it apart from the two main species is the time when it begins to flower. That’s because it is based on the age of the plant, unlike the photoperiod in indicas or sativas.

Today, the ever more popular hybrids of ruderalis and sativa and/or indica genes, that is the above-mentioned autoflowering strains, typically begin to flower between 21 and 30 days from the planting of the seeds – no matter whether it is May or September.

The effects of cannabis ruderalis

The psychological effects of the cannabis ruderalis are minimalized by its naturally low THC content. However, by crossbreeding with traditional potent varieties, breeders have managed to significantly increase its amount in autoflowering strains.