Cannabis is an annual plant reproduce from seeds. It's preferred to grow in open sun environment with light, well-drained soil with plenty of nutrients and water. Plants can grow up to five-meter height in a three to six months growing season. The generic Cannabis and Humulus, also known as the hop plant, were considered to both be part of the Cannabaceae family. Various types of Cannabis have been described and variously classified as species, subspecies, or varieties. These include, low-narcotic plants cultivated for fibers and seed production, high-narcotic plants cultivated for drug production, and escaped, hybridized, or wild form of either of these types. Cannabis can be categorized into three categories, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. Cannabis sativa is an annual plant, which induced to flower by photoperiod. The time of induction, being one of the many adaptive features of the plant. Two types of cannabis plants have been described. The first for its stem fiber, also called hemp, and used for hemp seeds as a source of seed oil, and rarely usable for narcotic purposes. Although the term hemp mostly indicates Cannabis sativa, it has also been applied to dozens of species representing more than 20 genera. The second variety is grown for narcotic content, causing euphoric intoxicant and therapeutic drugs. Regardless, we think both narcotic and non-narcotic categories of Cannabis sativa. The distinction between these two kinds has been obscured by extensive hybridization. Cannabis indica plants are characterized by short, broad leaflets. Whereas Cannabis sativa has relatively long and narrow leaflets. Cannabis indica plants are thought to originate from the Hindu Kush mountains range found in central Afghanistan in Northern Pakistan. Cannabis ruderalis is a hardity variety, characterized by a weedy growth. This variety grows natively in the Northern Himalayas and southern states of the former Soviet Union. Currently plants population can be found in most of the areas where hemp cultivation was once prevalent, like the Midwestern US, and Canada. There is fundamental confusion in popular literature over what the terms sativa and indica designate. Taxonomists used the nicknames sativa and indica to distinguish the two taxa. Taxonomists have traditionally used the term sativa to designate non-narcotic plants. Whereas the terms indica has been used in reference to narcotic plants. The general population however, use both sativa and indica as labeled four different classes of narcotic plants. In contrast to taxonomic tradition, this Hindu story uses the term sativa to designate plants with more narcotic potential that affects mostly the head, and using the term indica to designate plants with less but still substantial narcotic potential, which affects more on the body. Sativa will be more hallucinogenic and will considered as an upper, while indica will cause the user to feel more heavy and sleepy. The origin of the name indica comes from the word India, but Cannabis users often remembered the names indica as in the couch. Meaning, that after using the plants, one will be stuck in the couch feeling heavy. Morphologically, indica plants tend to grow shorter and bushier than sativa plants. Indica strains tend to have wide short leaves, with short wide blades. Whereas sativa strains have long leaves, with thin long blades. The buds of indica strain tend to be wide, dense, and bulky. While sativa strains flowers are more likely to be long and sausage shaped. To date, more than 500 compounds from different natural product classes have been identified from Cannabis. Of these, phytocannabinoids, terpenoids, and flavonoids have been suggested as therapeutic agents with diverse medicinal effect. Terpenoids form the largest group of plants chemicals. They are not specific to Cannabis, and can be found in all classes of living things. They are all flavour and fragrance components common to human diets. Over 200 different terpenoids have been identified in Cannabis. Some of the more widespread terpenes identified in Cannabis include limonene, myrcene, alpha-pinene, linalool, beta-caryophyllene, and caryophyllene. Terpenoids are classified by the number of isoprene units that constitute their structures as follows, monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, diterpenoids, and triterpenoids. Terpenoids in Cannabis have been found to exert pharmacological and antitumor activities. It has been suggested that phytocannabinoids, terpenoids interactions, could produce synergy with respect to treatments of pain, inflammation, depression, anxiety, addiction, epilepsy, cancer, as well as fungal and bacterial infections. Flavonoids are aromatic, polycyclic phenols. Twenty-three commonly occurring flavonoids have been identified in Cannabis, representing seven chemical structures that can be Glycosylated, Prenylated, or Methylated. Of these, Cannflavin A, and Cannflavin B are unique to Cannabis. Flavonoids and flavonols, found in cannabis exert a wide range of biological effects, including properties shared by terpenes, and cannabinoids. They present anti- inflammatory, anti-cancer, and neuro-protective properties. The C21 Terpenophenolic, also known as phytocannabinoids are characteristics structures found nearly exclusively in cannabis. This is a diverse class of chemicals compounds. That acts on cannabinoid receptors. Phytocannabinoids are being explored as pharmaceutical targets with potential application in the treatments of many diseases, and disorders, such as anorexia, pain, inflammation, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, glaucoma, osteoporosis, cancer, obesity, parkinson, and others. Phytocannabinoids are classified according to their chemical structures. The cannabis plant and its products, consist of an enormous variety of chemicals from several natural products classes. Among all the chemicals in cannabis, C21 terpenophenolic cannabinoids are unique to this plant. Cannabinoids found in cannabis are also term, "phytocannabinoids" to distinguish these group of components from synthetic cannabinoids, and endocannabinoids. According to a recent review by Professor Lumia Hanush, out of more than 545 metabolic components identified from cannabis. 144 have been isolated, and identified as phytocannabinoids. Phytocannabinoids have been conventionally classified into following 11 subclasses according to their chemical structures. CBG, Delta 9-THC, CBD, CBC, CBN, Delta 8-THC, CBL, CBND, CBE, CBT, and other miscellaneous types. Although, all subclasses of phytocannabinoids derived initially from CBG- type ones, the biosynthesis and decomposition pathways of the different types of phytocannabinoids are complicated, and mostly unknown. In general, CBG, Delta 9-THC, CBD and CBC, phytocannabinoid subclasses are biosynthesized in cannabis plants. While there remain six subclasses are the result of decomposition, either in the plant, or as a result of poor storage condition, following harvest. Phytocannabinoids are biosynthesized as acids, such as HTCA, and CBDA. In decarboxylation via heat, produces the more familiar natural type ones such as THC, and CBD. The most prevalent compounds are Delta 9-THCA, CBDA, and CBN-Acid. Followed by CBGA, CBCA, and CBNDA acid, while other compounds are minor. Cannabis strains significantly vary in their chemical compositions. The concentration of cannabis chemical compounds depend on the plants tissue type, age, variety, growth-condition, harvest time, and storage conditions. Analyzing the chemical contents of the plants is of a major importance, considering that the concentrations of these components, and their interplay, may determine medicinal effects and adverse side effects. Although, there is a great diversity in chemical components between Cannabis strains in the number of phytocannabinoids is large. Most studies that profile phytocannabinoids from cannabis plants reported only the major fetal cannabinoids in the extract. Usually up to eight most common components. The same problem, observed in the medical cannabis field. The therapeutic effects of cannabis lay on the vast number of phytocannabinoids contents and the ratios. However, physicians, typically do not prescribe a specific strain, nor dosage, since the chemical composition of cannabis is unknown, or limited to only few cannabinoids. Our lab at the Technion is working on the anti-cancer properties of the cannabis. We found that there is specificity between the type of Cannabis to the types of cancer. The meaning, that strain number one of cannabis can kill prostate cancer cells. But strain Number Two, won't affect them. Strains that attacks prostate cancer, and killed the cells won't always attack other kinds of cancer, such as breast cancer or [inaudible] cancer. Our problem was, that we couldn't distinguish between the two types of cannabis is the knowledge of how to profile the phytocannabinoids and the terpenes was limited. In our lab, we have accomplished these abilities for comprehensive identification, and quantification of all substances of cannabis. Using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, we are able today to identified more than 100 phytocannabinoids, and more than 100 Terpenes in cannabis plant. Our results, shows that every cannabis strain is different for another, and harboring different types of molecules, and different composition of phytocannabinoids. Cannabis is not one drug. Furthermore, it can not be categorized into just two groups, such as high THC, and high CBD. In our laboratory alone, we examine more than 400 different types of cannabis, and as I see it, these are 400 different medicines.
