4 Myths about the male cannabis plant and two reasons to keep them

In the world of cannabis the female is prized, But the same can not be said for the male, the often neglected half of this couple. The reason? The polinisation of the females would put the whole crop in danger. An online search however will bring upmany articles convincing us of the benefits of the male. We talked to Manuel Ramiro, member of the technical team at Planta Sur, who debunked some of the myths about its virtues “I would never recommend keeping a male unless you are trying to produce seeds” he explained.

4 Myths about the benefits of the male cannabis plant

1.- It is a natural pesticide

• What we read on the internet: Throughout the centuries, farmers have held the male cannabis plant as a faithful ally. The reason? The dried leaves and flowers act as natural pesticide and insect repellants plus the pure canniboids are antibacteria and antimicrobials. They believe that the terpenes, like lemonene and pinene produced by cannabis work as natural repellants for insects and pests in legumes and vegetables like cabbage and potatoes. A pair of male plants, far enough away from the females that the pollen can´t affect them, can help to produce a healthier and more bountiful harvest.
• What does Manuel Ramiro think? What is a prudent distance to keep the males from the females? Pollen from Morroccan plants travels to the Spanish peninsula on the winds. In fact, this theory makes no sense as it’s the females that have the highest levels of terpenes and canniboids, so they would be much more suitable as a repellant than male plants.

2.- Come and get your healthy green smoothies!

• What we read on the internet: Green juices are all the fashion for their many benefits! Every day we hear more about the benefits of cannabis as a medicinal plant. The male plant has the same benefits – canniboid acids –  as the female, but in lower quantities and concentrations. We can use male plants to make healthy juices without psychoactive effects.
• What does Manuel Ramiro think? “To make a smoothie without psychoactive effects, you only need to use hemp and not cannabis. In fact, in direct contrast to what you said, male plants are dryer than females and they produce less liquid for juices.

3.- Even their roots have medicinal properties

• What we read on the internet: The roots of cannabis plants don´t have more than 1% CBD or THC. Instead they contain pentacyclic treterpene, epifriedelanol or pentacyclic triterpene, very useful components for medical use as diuretics and anti-inflammatories, as pain-relieving agents and as protective antioxidants for the liver.
• What does Manuel Ramiro think? “The roots of the female plants are much richer in the compounds you named than male plants.

4.- Add Cannabis seeds to your diet

• What we read on the internet: We are more obsessed by diet than ever before. And its not just food-posturing on Instagram, but people trying to ensure that their diet is as healthy and balanced as possible. As well as green juices for breakfast, many have incorporated into their diet seeds and other superfoods that bring multiple benefits. Cannabis seeds provide us with vitamin E and fibre. These seeds are a source of vegtable protein and can be taken in many forms.
• What does Manuel Ramiro think? “The objective here is still to produce seeds, even though in this case, the seeds are for eating”

2 Reasons to conserve the male cannabis plant

1.- The need to create new varieties and genetics
Breeders that work developing hybrids know only too well the value of the male, and why a good choice is important. Males are 50% of the process of cannabis cultivation, and supply half the DNA of the new crop, thanks to the pollen they give to the females.
Although nature does sometimes produce a plant with both male and female flowers – a hermaphrodite, cannabis and other plants of its family are dioecious. This means that males and females exist as two separate plants. This phenominum is rare in the vegetable world, where more than 80% of plants that produce flowers are hermaphrodite or monoecious. The result of these hermaphrodite plants is inbreeding, a lack of diversity and weak seeds. For this reason it is better to get stronger seeds through the creation of hybrids between males and females.
  
2.- Its fibres are stronger than female plants

If we are looking at its use as a material, the fibres from the male plant are stronger and more flexible than female plants. A study conducted in Hungary in 1996 showed that fibre from male plants is finer and more resistant and is therefore used to weave better quality fabrics. Male plants are usually used for refined fabrics such as tableclothes and bedsheets, whereas female plants are used for ropes and canvases.