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Habitats
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Cultivated Beds;
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Edible Uses
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Edible Parts: Leaves; Oil; Seed.
Edible Uses: Oil.
Seed - raw or cooked. It can be parched and eaten as a condiment or made into cakes and fried[2, 85, 177, 183]. The seed is quite tasty, but it is very difficult to separate from the husk. We have tried grinding the seed, husk and all, and eating it this way, but it does then have a very gritty texture[K]. The seed contains about 27.1% protein, 25.6% fat, 7.4% carbohydrate, 6.1% ash[179]. A nutritional analysis is available calculated on a zero moisture basis[218]. A highly nutritious edible oil, rich in essential fatty acids, is obtained from the seed[105, 183]. Leaves. Used in soups[269]. The leaves contain 0.215% carotene[179].
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Composition
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Figures in grams (g) or miligrams (mg) per 100g of food.
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Seed (Dry weight)
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- 487 Calories per 100g
- Water : 0%
- Protein: 31.4g; Fat: 29.6g; Carbohydrate: 31.9g; Fibre: 23.5g; Ash: 7.1g;
- Minerals - Calcium: 139mg; Phosphorus: 1123mg; Iron: 13.9mg; Magnesium: 0mg; Sodium: 0mg; Potassium: 0mg; Zinc: 0mg;
- Vitamins - A: 518mg; Thiamine (B1): 0.37mg; Riboflavin (B2): 0.2mg; Niacin: 2.43mg; B6: 0mg; C: 0mg;
- Reference: [ 218]
- Notes:
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Medicinal Uses
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Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Analgesic; Anodyne; Anthelmintic; Antianxiety; Antibacterial; Anticonvulsant; Antiemetic; Antiperiodic; Antirheumatic; Antispasmodic; Cancer;
Cholagogue; Demulcent; Diuretic; Emmenagogue; Emollient; Febrifuge; Hypnotic; Laxative; Narcotic; Ophthalmic;
Sedative; Tonic.
Hemp, or more appropriately cannabis since the form grown for fibre contains much less of the medicinally active compounds, has a very long history of medicinal use, though it is illegal to grow in many countries since the leaves and other parts of the plant are widely used as a narcotic drug[4]. The leaves and the resin that exudes from them are the parts mainly used, though all parts of the plant contain the active ingredients[4]. Cannabis contains a wide range of active ingredients, perhaps the most important of which is THC. The principal uses of the plant are as a pain-killer, sleep-inducer and reliever of the nausea caused by chemotherapy, whilst it also has a soothing influence in nervous disorders[4]. Although cannabis does not effect a cure for many of the problems it is prescribed to treat, it is a very safe and effective medicine for helping to reduce the symptoms of many serious diseases. For example, it relieves the MS sufferer of the distressing desire to urinate, even when the bladder is empty. As long as it is used regularly, it also greatly reduces the pressure in the eye to relieve the symptoms of glaucoma. The whole plant is anodyne, anthelmintic, antiemetic, anti-inflammatory, antiperiodic, antispasmodic, cholagogue, diuretic, emollient, hypnotic, hypotensive, laxative, narcotic, ophthalmic and sedative[4, 7, 21, 46, 147, 176, 178, 192, 238, 243]. It is used to relieve some of the unpleasant side effects suffered by people undergoing chemotherapy for cancer - in particular it is very effective in removing the feelings of nausea and indeed helps to create an appetite and positive attitude of mind which is so important to people undergoing this treatment[K]. It has also been found of use in the treatment of glaucoma[200, 222, 238] and relieves the distressing constant desire to urinate that is suffered by many people with multiple sclerosis. Given to patients suffering from AIDS, it helps them to put on weight[238]. Since it strongly increases the desire for food it has been found of benefit in treating anorexia nervosa. It is used externally as a poultice for corns, sores, varicose veins, gout and rheumatism[218, 238]. Few plants have a greater array of folk medicine uses. Cannabis has been used in the treatment of a wide range of conditions including alcohol withdrawal, anthrax, asthma, blood poisoning, bronchitis, burns, catarrh, childbirth, convulsions, coughs, cystitis, delirium, depression, diarrhoea, dysentery, dysmenorrhoea, epilepsy, fever, gonorrhoea, gout, inflammation, insomnia, jaundice, lockjaw, malaria, mania, menorrhagia, migraine, morphine withdrawal, neuralgia, palsy, rheumatism, scalds, snakebite, swellings, tetanus, toothache, uteral prolapse, and whooping cough[269]. The seed is anodyne, anthelmintic, demulcent, diuretic, emollient, emmenagogue, febrifuge, laxative, narcotic and tonic[218]. It is used to treat constipation caused by debility or fluid retention[238]. The seed is an important source of essential fatty acids and can be very helpful in the treatment of many nervous diseases. A high content of very active antibacterial and analgesic substances has been found in the plant[240]. It has bactericidal effects on gram-positive micro-organisms, in some cases up to a dilution of 1:150,000[240].
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Other Uses
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Fibre; Oil; Paper; Repellent.
A drying oil is obtained from the seed. It is used for lighting, soap making, paints, varnish etc[4, 7, 21, 46, 57, 171]. In the temperate zone, oil is produced from females which have been left to stand after the fibre-producing males have been harvested[269]. A varnish is made from the pressed seeds[269]. Seed is harvested from the female plants when most of it falls off when the plant is shaken. Best time of day to harvest seed is in early morning when fruits are turgid and conditions damp. As fruits dry out by mid-day, seed loss increases due to shattering. Usually stems are cut and the seeds shaken out over canvas sheets or beaten with sticks to extract the seeds[269]. A fibre is obtained from the stem. It is strong and very durable[171] and is used in making coarse fabrics, rope etc[1, 7, 21, 46, 57, 61]. Male plants produce the best fibres and they are harvested when the plants turn brown and the flowers begin to open[123, 171, 269]. When used for making paper the stems are harvested in the autumn and either retted or steamed until the fibres can be removed. The fibre is cooked for 2 hours or more with lye and then beaten in a ball mill or Hollander beater. The paper is off-white in colour[189]. A good companion plant for cabbages and other brassicas, it repels the cabbage white butterfly[4, 18, 20, 201] and also secretes a volatile essence from its roots that inhibits pathogenic micro-organisms in the soil[201].
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Cultivation details
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Cannabis is very adaptable to soil and climatic conditions[269]. It prefers a rich loamy soil with plenty of humus[171] but it succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1] and also in calcareous soils[171]. When grown for fibre, it requires a mild temperate climate with at least 67cm annual rainfall, with abundant rain whilst the seeds are germinating and until young plants become established[269]. Cannabis thrives on rich, fertile, neutral to slightly alkaline, well-drained silt or clay loams with moisture retentive subsoils, it does not grow well on acid, sandy soils[269]. Of the many types of hemp, some are adapted to most vegetated terrains and climates[269]. Cannabis is reported to tolerate an annual precipitation range of 30 to 400cm, an average annual temperature range of 6 to 27°C and a pH in the range of 4.5 to 8.2[269]. Plants require little cultivation, except for weeding during early stages of growth. Hemp grows rapidly and soon crowds out weeds[269]. After the plants are 20 cm tall, weeding is abandoned. Hemp tends to exhaust the soil of nutrients, though some nutrients are returned to the soil after plants are harvested[269]. Hemp is commonly cultivated for its fibre, edible seed and oil in many areas of the world, it is also a socially acceptable drug in areas of Asia and the Middle East[238]. However, it is illegal to grow in Britain and many other western countries (plus Australia and New Zealand) because it contains certain narcotic principles and is a commonly used narcotic drug[20, 123, 238]. As Cannabis sativa has been cultivated for over 4,500 years for different purposes, many varieties and cultivars have been selected for specific purposes, as fibre, oil or narcotics. Drug-producing selections grow better and produce more drug in the tropics; oil and fibre producing plants thrive better in the temperate and subtropical areas. Many of the cultivars and varieties have been named as to the locality where it is grown mainly. However, all so called varieties freely interbreed and produce various combinations of the characters. The form of the plant and the yield of fibre from it vary according to climate and particular variety. Varieties cultivated particularly for their fibres have long stalks, branch very little, and yield only small quantities of seed. Varieties which are grown for the oil from their seed are short in height, mature early and produce large quantities of seed. Varieties grown for the drugs are short, much-branched with smaller dark-green leaves. Between these three main types of plants are numerous varieties which differ from the main one in height, extent of branching and other characteristics[269]. At least one variety has been selected for its virtually insignificant content of the narcotic principles[141]. This form is monoecious whereas most other forms are dioecious[141]. There is also said to be a tall Chinese form that has no narcotic effect[179]. However in 1999 even these varieties are illegal to grow in Britain without a special licence. Certain varieties do not form many side-shoots and these are the forms most commonly grown for their fibre[123]. Plants grown in warmer climates tend to be best for medicinal use, whilst those grown in more northerly latitudes produce the better fibre[4]. The seed is very attractive to birds and is often included in bird seed mixtures[7].
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Propagation
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Seed - sow in early spring in the greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Seeds germinate well at low temperatures, but not below 1°C[269]. The seed can also be sown outdoors in situ in mid spring.
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Botanical References
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74200
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Links / References
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[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
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[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
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Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
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[2]Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
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Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
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[4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.
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Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
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[7]Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.
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Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
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[17]Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles.
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A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
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[18]Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants.
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Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.
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[20]Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening.
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Fairly good.
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[21]Lust. J. The Herb Book.
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Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
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[46]Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants.
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An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
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[57]Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.
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Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.
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[61]Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
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Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
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[74]Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR.
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An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.
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[85]Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains.
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A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.
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[105]Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
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The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
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[123]? Encyclopaedia Britannica. 15th edition.
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It contains a few things of interest to the plant project.
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[141]Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK.
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Some suggested alternative commercial crops for Britain. Readable. Produced by a University study group.
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[147]? A Barefoot Doctors Manual.
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A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
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[171]Hill. A. F. Economic Botany.
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Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.
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[176]Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas.
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An excellent Chinese herbal giving information on over 500 species. Rather technical and probably best suited to the more accomplished user of herbs.
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[177]Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption.
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An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
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[178]Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica.
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A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
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[179]Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao.
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A translation of an ancient Chinese book on edible wild foods. Fascinating.
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[183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
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Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
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[189]Bell. L. A. Plant Fibres for Papermaking.
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A good practical section on how to make paper on a small scale plus details of about 75 species (quite a few of them tropical) that can be used.
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[192]Emboden. W. Narcotic Plants
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A lot of details about the history, chemistry and use of narcotic plants, including hallucinogens, stimulants, inebriants and hypnotics.
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[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
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Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
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[201]Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting.
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A well produced and very readable book.
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[218]Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China
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Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
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[222]Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
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A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
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[238]Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.
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A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
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[240]Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
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Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
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[243] Medicinal Plants of Nepal
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Terse details of the medicinal properties of Nepalese plants, including cultivated species and a few imported herbs.
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[269]Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops
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Published only on the Internet, excellent information on a wide range of plants.
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Subject : Cannabis sativa
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