Weeds

In this issue of Soft Secrets we shall take a closer look at the subject of 'Weeds'. Unlike other plants which are usually grouped together into families or Genus, the weeds are grouped together into non-related plant groups by horticulturalists. Most simply, a 'weed' can be described as 'a plant which grows in the places that other plants disdain'. Many of these 'unwanted plant species' , as we shall discover, are often the most invasive and sometimes most productive plants in the garden. Those plants which farmers and gardeners often seek to eradicate and/or remove from society completely.

In this issue of Soft Secrets we shall take a closer look at the subject of 'Weeds'. Unlike other plants which are usually grouped together into families or Genus, the weeds are grouped together into non-related plant groups by horticulturalists. Most simply, a 'weed' can be described as 'a plant which grows in the places that other plants disdain'. Many of these 'unwanted plant species' , as we shall discover, are often the most invasive and sometimes most productive plants in the garden. Those plants which farmers and gardeners often seek to eradicate and/or remove from society completely.

Here we shall firstly discuss the character of weed species in contrast to domesticated plants. Secondly we shall look into peoples perceptions of 'weeds' within society and the reasons why Cannabis has been prescribed the title of 'weed'. Finally we shall compare Wild Cannabis in relation to the Domesticated Cannabis people cultivate and smoke.

Weed Species

All plants stem in origin from wild species. Likewise every plant species on the planet has its own preferred environment where it likes to live. While people have learnt to assimilate certain plant species towards domesticated environments the majority of plants found on the planet are the weeds. Many of these weed species have evolved over millions of years to adapt themselves towards a variety of different environments as a means of survival. To fully understand the nature of weeds it is therefore important to understand the basics behind their botany.

All weeds have the ability to invade otherwise vacant spaces of land for several bio-mechanical reasons. This relates to each individual weeds' morphology and metabolism. The method via which weeds are propagated is also critical to their means of survival. Weeds are generally those plants that have learnt how to best propagate themselves in nature. This involves both a plants efficiency in the ability to multiply in order to produce offspring, and its ability to further distribute its offspring over otherwise unpopulated areas. Certain weed species rely extensively on their invasive underground roots or rhizomes as a means of propagation, while other weeds rely completely on invasive methods of seed dispersal.

As annual weeds grow their main purpose in life is to procreate and produce seeds. Some weeds invest their energy into producing only a few seeds per flower, while others may produce millions of seeds per plant. Once a weed has invested its energy into seed production it must next devise a means of spreading its seeds as far and as wide (or as close and as local) as possible so that its offspring can live. This is especially important with annual weed species which only naturally live for one season. Many weed seeds do however lay dormant for many years until conditions are suitable for germination.

As individual weed species colonise new areas of land their capacity to produce offspring increases. In this way a single seed carried by the weather, bird, beast or human may grow on to 'mother/farther' a whole population of plants in the future. The majority of weeds are in fact just as typical and as adaptable as their ancestor were in their ability to produce offspring in the same area. This is perhaps the real key to the weeds survival and success.

The real fascination for Botanists is the means via which certain weed species have, since the introduction of humans, tailored their seed distribution techniques towards specific environments. This is especially the case within urban habitats where weed species can be studied and appreciated against an otherwise sterile background. The complexity and ingenuity involved in the distribution of certain weeds is part of their natural history.

Many weed species have evolved to produce seeds that are more durable and vigorous then their domesticated counter-parts. Interestingly, from a scientific perspective, most weed species also provide a much richer density of habitat to support native fauna than their domestic cousins. This is an important factor to consider when aiming to eradicate unwanted plant species from the garden in favour of weaker ones.

Domesticated Species

The majority of the plants we grow in the garden today have been domesticated originally from weed species by humans. Moreover many domesticated plants have, via selective breeding, lost their ability to grow wild as weeds in their natural environment. Several domesticated plant species do however still retain their ability to grow feral if allowed to do so. However the longevity and survival rate of domesticated plant species, especially surrounding urban environs, is often short lived.

The 'survival factor' found within all wild species of plant has been purposely bred out of most domesticated species. This occurred as plants were managed into uniformed lines for farms, parks and gardens. This in turn created a whole gene-pool of domesticated plants which cannot survive without human intervention. Most fruits and vegetables fall into this category since they no-longer survive in their wild state and rarely grow feral when placed in competition with truly wild plants.

One reason for the inability of domesticated plants to grow wild is usually related to the reasons they were initially cultivated. For example, those domesticated species which are grown purely for the production of their leaves, roots, fruits and flowers, do not expend as much energy into seed production as their ancestors did. This ultimately produces weaker seeds (if/when seeds are aloud to form). Another reason why domesticated varieties grow weaker than their wild ancestors is because of the controlled environments in which they are kept.

The watering down of domesticated species ultimately has a trickle down effect; whereby once strong and healthy weed-species start to loose their 'survival factor' within a managed setting. Without carefully observation domesticated plant species are further liable to loose the natural vigour they once possessed as they become standardized with excessive in-breeding. This in turn leads many botanists to believe that the natural chemical content of many of the domesticated plants we consume as humans have already started to diminish.

One of the questions we can explore as canna-culturalists is whether or not Cannabis has become less of a 'weed species' during the process of its domestication? Before doing so however we shall briefly discuss some of the reasons why Cannabis is considered a 'weed' species.

Weed (also known as Cannabis)

Outside of a horticultural context, the word 'weed' only really means one thing - Cannabis. As we have already discovered the word 'weed' is a derogatory term that seeks to highlight the existence of an unwanted plant species in society. Cannabis belongs to one of the most adaptable family groups and has arguably been a 'weed' ever since seed baring plants first inhabited the planet. To place things into perspective, as a wild plant species, Cannabis sativa has outlived the dinosaurs, the doomsday book, the dodo, and was a weed before humans were chimpanzees.

Unless napalm strikes every valley of the Himalayas, Central Africa, Southern Europe and San Francisco, then sure thing is Cannabis sativa will probably still be growing wild as a weed species long after humans are extinct. As an annual weed species Cannabis sativa naturally grows in spring and seeds in late autumn. After which the plant dies back into winter and the seeds are deposited in wet ground. Here the male and female seeds sit until the following spring, when the whole cycle starts again.

The point were Cannabis became a "Weed" was at the point it became unwanted within society. Today there are well over one hundred plant species in the UK alone which are classified as weeds. Throughout history these plants where often recognised for their culinary, medicinal or holistic use. Unfortunately today via the process of industrialization and urbanization too many people have lost contact with the plants their ancestors held knowledge about. Gradually weed species were replaced by domesticated plants and proceeding generations inherited the ideology of 'gardening' instead of 'foraging' for medicine and foodstuffs.

Many ancient species, got lost during this mindless process. Most notably those plant species that no-longer fitted in with the machinery of industrialized societies, as well as those which prevented capitalist systems from making money. Such plants were first restricted in their growth, and later specifically targeted as social outcasts. Gradually social-engineers drew up a list of weed-species that botanists held in disfavour. Somewhere at the top of the list sat the genus 'Cannabis' - a weed that grows in the places that other plants (and humans) disdain.

The feral nature of even domesticated varieties of Cannabis, as a weed species, means that many varieties take root as seeds in areas of even poorly cultivated ground. Providing the ecological conditions surrounding the cannabis seed is suitable for survival, then cannabis acts like any other weed species. Hemp Farmers in the USA were acutely aware of this as Cannabis sativa grew feral (like barley) in their fields - several seasons after planting. This is because unlike many other cultivated crops the seeds of Cannabis (and barley) have retained much of their survival instinct.

As a result of mismanagement Cannabis sativa grew wild in hedges, in Kentucky and Nebraska and yokel farmers called the unwanted plant species "Weed". The name stuck like hashish does to a rolling paper in summer and the 'anti-marijuana brigade' in the USA moved in on the term. After which the general public started calling marijuana weed instead.

Wild Cannabis
Today Wild Cannabis still exists in a few places on earth. The mountains of Buhtan, India, and Nepal, are usually the first places that mystically spring to mind. However there are a few other unknown places where Cannabis still happily grows wild. Some of these are feral varieties of Cannabis from recent imports, while others grow completely wild in a natural state often with ancestry dating back hundreds of years.

For example in Dorset, the quaint little county by the sea in southern England, Cannabis plants grow completely wild in the hedges. The origins of which date back to the King Henry(s) (I - V). One of which decreed that all farmers in the borough must grow Hemp / Cannabis for the production of rope; to defeat the nations they were then quarrelling against (the Spanish and French). They seed of which grew feral in proceeding seasons and ultimately established itself to become part of the Native Wild Flora of Britain.

Cannabis ruderalis (the base stock of all auto-flowering varieties) has been growing wild in Russia and Siberia for centuries. Other than being a valuable wild source of animal fodder in winter, textile and rope material, the seeds were also collected for the manufacture of candles and soap. Unlike domesticated varieties of Cannabis these wild 'hemp' varieties were however devoid of the THC substance that gets people high or stoned. This lead the earliest breeders (in Asia perhaps 10,000 years ago) to experiment and source the most potent varieties of Cannabis to smoke. The only way the culture of smoking could progress further was via domestication.

Domesticated Cannabis

Unlike its wilder cousins, Domesticated Cannabis has always been well kept, well feed, and carefully homed. 'Well-fed' literally means to be watered or fed from the well. With regular watering domesticated Cannabis crops grew faster, with more health and vigour, than their wild siblings on the edge of the village. Some weeds were more manageable, more reliable, or more productive than other weeds. The seeds of which were always kept for the next season or the season after. Gradually these weeds became the domesticated varieties of Cannabis that people recognise today.

Arguably the strongest and most efficient of all the 'weed' species on the planet, in its ability to propagate, colonise new areas, and hibernate for several years, in both a wild outdoor state and indoors in a domesticated setting, is Cannabis sativa/indica. Hopefully human-nature can be more kind towards Cannabis as a weed species in future.