Why Female Cannabis Plants Are Important  💫  

In nature, the female cannabis plant tries to capture pollen to begin seed production and create the next generation of plants. However, the cannabis flower consumers know only exists because growers work hard to prevent pollination from happening—and with good reason for both consumers and growers. Understanding the importance of protecting female cannabis plants may not seem like the most practical information while shopping, but learning about the challenges of preserving female plants can provide insight into the availability of strains in the market.   

Compared to female cannabis, the male plants produce almost no buds and drastically fewer resin glands, meaning significantly reduced cannabinoid and terpene production. One reason resin production is much more prolific in female plants is that resin acts as the plant’s primary form of protection from insects and herbivores, UV radiation, and microbial threats. As male plants release pollen and die off, the females continue developing flowers coated in resinous trichomes, helping create a safer environment for potential seeds.   

One of the main reasons growers prevent female plants from becoming pollinated is that the plant’s energy shifts from resin production to seed development. This results in a less potent flower that will become filled with seeds. Because of this, cannabis growers and breeders take extensive precautions to prevent accidental pollination and preserve female plants.    

Another reason growers control pollination is that the plants traits would vary from seed to seed, causing inconsistency in strain profiles. Most growing operations use a process called cloning. In this method, a female “mother” plant is kept in the vegetative stage while growers continuously take cuttings to grow into full plants. This means the Jenny Kush buds you can find today are likely cut from a clone of the same plant that was available years ago! While it is common to replace a mother plant with one of its clones after months or years, the genetics remain the same.   

Because a mother plant can only provide so many cuttings before it begins to negatively affect its health, this also means that strains have limited availability depending on factors such as popularity, cultivation challenges, and space limitations. Grow facilities in Illinois have limited cultivation space, so dedicating more room to one strain means less room for others. As a result, fluctuations in product availability are common. 

In conclusion, the female cannabis plant reigns supreme in the cannabis world because its resin production is unmatched by its male counterpart. Additionally, modern cloning methods allow growers to theoretically replicate a mother plant indefinitely, enabling consistent large-scale production without the variability that comes from growing plants from seed.  

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