Systematics and Botanical Characteristics of Industrial Hemp Cannabis Sativa L

ABSTRACT The systematic affiliation of Cannabis has been controversial for many years. Without a doubt, today we know that they belong to the order Rosales, family Cannabaceae, genus Cannabis, species – C. sativa L., with both industrial hemp (C. sativa L. var. sativa) and narcotic C. sativa L. var. indica. Hemp can be divided into several groups according to their genetic plasticity, allowing them to adapt to changing geographical and climatic conditions, and to almost any substrate and the division can be made using different criteria. The most important are: origin, length of vegetation period, content of cannabinoids (THC and CBD), mono- and dioequivalence. A natural feature is the phenomenon of sexual dimorphism, which is common in the world of other plants. Dioeciousness is natural, and the monoecious forms of hemp grown are unstable. Although the pharmaceutical use of hemp has been known for more than 5 000 years, new bioactive compounds are still being discovered. So the potential of this species is still inexhaustible and unfathomable.