What is Cannabis Ruderalis and How Has It Changed Everything?

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.

There are loads of cannabis strains, some of which will never be popular enough to find, and others that can be found in any dispensary. Still, some strains that would never be popular can find their way into everyday use. This is because these varieties have a special property that only becomes useful when paired with something we use in everyday life – think how much watermelon has changed since the Renaissance.

The same principle applies to cannabis – breeders have for centuries focused on specific cannabis traits, selectively breeding for higher potency, a more attractive smell, more attractive coloring and a more consistent size. These new crops are technically genetically modified organisms (GMOs), but that term tends to have a charged connotation (since certain American companies are making GMO crops that are resistant to pesticides and herbicides, which ultimately reduces nutritional content and the rest of the not-so-major side effects , who we know).

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The cannabis we know and love today is very different from the cannabis of ancient times (or even the 70’s, just ask your parents) – it’s stronger, tastier, and overall a better quality plant.

Cannabis ruderalis is one of those cannabis strains that without a special trait would likely have been lost over time. C. ruderalis originated (most likely) in the Volga Valley of Russia, but was first identified in Siberia in 1924. C. ruderalis has also been found throughout North America and Central and Eastern Europe; It was never a strain that people were interested in until the 1980’s when seeds of C. ruderalis were sent to the seed bank in Amsterdam.

While observing C. ruderalis, growers noticed a special trait: flowering is based on maturity rather than light intensity. C. ruderalis evolved this trait naturally over millions of years of cultivation in northern regions where light levels vary so drastically throughout the year that plants must grow rapidly or lose the energy available during those short summer months. C. ruderalis takes advantage of this by having an extremely fast growth cycle, flowering in just a few weeks to disperse its pollen and seeds before the cold winter sets in again.

A somewhat confusing fact is how botanists categorize cannabis. We usually think of two main strains of cannabis: sativa and indica. These two strains dominate the market and are known for their specific effects and potency, size, and coloring. C. ruderalis is technically a third strain of cannabis, one that has very low THC levels, doesn’t grow very tall and is generally not a strong strain, although it has been smoked in the past. It’s not the only other cannabis strain either, even if we exclude hybrids, but the other strains are usually used to make hemp products because their fibers are quite resilient.

C. ruderalis has this specific trait that doesn’t rely on photoperiods to produce buds, and while these buds weren’t really useful in the cannabis sense of the word ‘use’, the fact that ruderalis contains this trait in the first place means that they they could lend it to other tribes. However, this comes at a price because when ruderalis is combined with other strains (whether indica, sativa or a hybrid) it tends to have very unstable genes, so unfortunately the only way to get more autoflowers is to buy hybrid seeds is from producers.

Once this unique trait was identified, breeders spent decades successfully combining C. ruderalis with C. indica and C. sativa until they were able to develop strains that were suddenly more resistant to pests and didn’t rely on a photoperiod were. Now growers are able to accelerate the growth cycle in as little as 10 weeks.

C. ruderalis is a low-THC cannabis strain – does this mean it has “hemp” in the eyes of regulators? Not necessarily, as C. ruderalis actually has a slightly higher THC content than would be appropriate for hemp (which should be between 0.2 – 0.3% THC depending on the country).

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At this point, C. ruderalis has only one main purpose, which is to breed with other cannabis strains. In fact, C. ruderalis is so useful that growers are breeding it not only with indica and sativa strains, but also with hybrids—it’s a tricky thing, but as indoor growing becomes more widespread and easier to do, it’s becoming easier to create hybrids is also increasing. C. ruderalis was bred to produce all kinds of amazing plants: Mephisto Mondays, Gelato Auto and Gorilla Glue are all autoflowering, so expect many more interesting strains soon.

And while C. ruderalis has a short history in the western world (and cannabis culture in general), it has been used for centuries as a medicinal herb to treat headaches and pain because it is one strain with higher CBD levels than many other varieties. Currently, C. ruderalis is used as a potential cancer treatment (obviously not to treat cancer itself, but rather the side effects of anti-cancer drugs), anxiety, and epilepsy. It’s an intriguing strain with a long, unique history that’s well worth spending time reading about just how powerful medicinal cannabis can be.

But let’s not forget that cannabis is just one medicinal plant out of thousands – we are made of the world and the world is made of us, so much of what exists in nature can be used to improve our lives and health help. Cannabis is getting all the attention these days, but like C. ruderalis, there are other plants that have unique benefits for mankind that are being ignored in favor of the most popular.

It’s important that we remember that we live in a diverse world with a lot of really interesting plants that have the ability to transform the way we live, so be careful not to get too stuck in one mindset! That’s our last word for the day.

If you enjoyed this article and want to learn more, check out the VIVOSUN grow guide.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.