Life History/Reproduction
Cannabis is an annual, therefore it grows in the warm season, then dies down. A new generation springs up the following year from the seed. Seeds generally germinate within three to seven days after planting. Under the right growing conditions, the Cannabis plant can grow approximately 7 cm a day. For the most part, Cannabis is a dioecious plant, therefore, the male and female plants are separate. However, some have been found to be monecious. After pollination, the male plants die while the female plants survive until the weather turns. At the end of the warm season, the seeds mature and are dispersed by both man and animals. Maturation time varies for the Cannabis plant, depending upon the region of growth. In early maturing forms of the plant THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) levels tend to be low. Whereas, the late maturing forms tend to contain a higher THC level which is found in the vegetative part of the plant. The late maturing type is often favored by cannabis growers for narcotic purposes.