Home > Herbs > Cannabis Sativa

hemp

Cannabis sativa · Accepted scientific name

Scientific literature: Very Extensive (2562 studies) · ★★★★★

Hemp, scientifically known as Cannabis sativa, is a versatile multipurpose plant revered for its diverse therapeutic properties. Renowned for its rich profile of cannabinoids, including CBD and THC, it is widely utilized in modern medicine to manage pain, anxiety, and epilepsy, offering significant potential for holistic healthcare and wellness.

Family
Cannabaceae
Native range
Europe
Parts used
Leaf · Flower
Common names
Grass · Hemp · 7 more
Scientific synonyms
Cannabis Kafiristanica · Cannabis Sativa Var. Ruderalis · 33 more

Names

Common Names

Regional and Traditional Names

Spanish:

  • Cannabis medicinal
  • canamón
  • mariguana
  • quif
  • maryjuana
  • canamon
  • cañamon
  • gañja
  • cánnabis
  • mota
  • Cáñamo asiático
  • Marihuana
  • mota
  • Mandanga

German:

  • Hanf
  • Echter Hanf
  • Hanf (Art)
  • Hanf
  • Echter Hanf
  • Gewöhnlicher Hanf

French:

  • chanvre cultivé
  • chanvre
  • cannabis
  • chènevis
  • zamal
  • amale
  • gandia
  • cannabis
  • chanvre
  • chanvre cultivé
  • chènevis chanvre

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Cannabis sativa

Synonyms

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is positioned in the order Rosales and the family Cannabaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Cannabis, specifically the species Cannabis sativa.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Rosales WCVP
Family Cannabaceae WCVP
Genus Cannabis WCVP

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific presence across several regions within Northern Europe. In the southern reaches of this territory, it can be found growing in Denmark. Moving further north, the species is also distributed throughout Finland. The plant extends its range to the islands of Great Britain and Ireland as well. Finally, its geographical footprint includes the northernmost stretches of Norway.

Region Area Source
Northern Europe Denmark WCVP
Northern Europe Finland WCVP
Northern Europe Great Britain WCVP
Northern Europe Ireland WCVP
Northern Europe Norway WCVP
Northern Europe Sweden WCVP
Middle Europe Austria WCVP
Middle Europe Belgium WCVP
Middle Europe Czechia-Slovakia WCVP
Middle Europe Germany WCVP

Plant Parts

This plant, Cannabis sativa, possesses several distinct morphological features that contribute to its medicinal properties. The most recognizable parts are the serrated green leaves, which are often used in various preparations. The plant produces dense inflorescences, or flowering clusters, which serve as the primary source of many bioactive compounds. These compounds are concentrated within microscopic, resin-producing glandular trichomes that coat the surface of the flowers and foliage. Additionally, the robust stem provides structural support for the plant's rapid growth, while the nutrient-rich seeds offer a different profile of uses, often valued for their nutritional and oil content.
Plant Part Sources Consensus
leaf Bioorganic chemistry (and other 15 sources) ★★★★★
flower Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (and other 9 sources) ★★★★☆
seed Open life sciences (and other 8 sources) ★★★★☆
root Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 6 sources) ★★★☆☆
stem International journal of nanomedicine (and other 4 sources) ★★☆☆☆
fruit Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology (and other 3 sources) ★★☆☆☆

Chemicals

Cannabis sativa has 330 reported phytochemicals identified across 45 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include cannabidiol, Cannabinoids, CBD, THC, TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL.

Chemicals reported in Cannabis sativa
Chemical Supporting sources Consensus
cannabidiol 97 supporting sources ★★★★★
Cannabinoids 60 supporting sources ★★★★★
CBD 47 supporting sources ★★★★★
THC 45 supporting sources ★★★★★
TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL 37 supporting sources ★★★★★
Terpenes 30 supporting sources ★★★★★
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol 25 supporting sources ★★★★★
Flavonoids 23 supporting sources ★★★★★
Cannabigerol 16 supporting sources ★★★★★
cannabinol 15 supporting sources ★★★★★

cannabidiol

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Frontiers in pharmacology
  3. International journal of molecular sciences
  4. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR
  5. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
View 92 additional sources
  1. Chemosphere
  2. Journal of veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics
  3. Pharmaceutics
  4. Current pain and headache reports
  5. Journal of experimental botany
  6. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
  7. Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology
  8. Medical cannabis and cannabinoids
  9. Maturitas
  10. Journal of ethnopharmacology
  11. Life sciences
  12. Current developments in nutrition
  13. Frontiers in plant science
  14. Cells
  15. Planta medica
  16. Journal of applied microbiology
  17. Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics
  18. Psychopharmacology
  19. Journal of translational medicine
  20. PloS one
  21. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
  22. Cancers
  23. Journal of cannabis research
  24. Perspectives in clinical research
  25. Cannabis and cannabinoid research
  26. Toxics
  27. Current pharmaceutical design
  28. Scientific reports
  29. Veterinary research
  30. Veterinary sciences
  31. Journal of clinical psychopharmacology
  32. Cureus
  33. Yakugaku zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
  34. Toxins
  35. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
  36. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology
  37. Nutrients
  38. Frontiers in neuroscience
  39. Journal of medicinal food
  40. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
  41. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
  42. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
  43. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
  44. Recent patents on biotechnology
  45. The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics
  46. British journal of pharmacology
  47. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
  48. CNS drugs
  49. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association : JAPhA
  50. Current medicinal chemistry
  51. Fitoterapia
  52. Annals of work exposures and health
  53. BMC plant biology
  54. The British journal of oral & maxillofacial surgery
  55. South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
  56. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
  57. JBRA assisted reproduction
  58. Sports medicine - open
  59. Schmerz (Berlin, Germany)
  60. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
  61. Deutsches Arzteblatt international
  62. Frontiers in psychiatry
  63. Journal of psychoactive drugs
  64. Heliyon
  65. Anticancer research
  66. Journal of clinical neurophysiology : official publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society
  67. Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology
  68. Current opinion in investigational drugs (London, England : 2000)
  69. Journal of AOAC International
  70. Headache
  71. Environmental science & technology
  72. Frontiers in immunology
  73. Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology
  74. Pharmacology & therapeutics
  75. Natural product research
  76. Current neurology and neuroscience reports
  77. British journal of hospital medicine (London, England : 2005)
  78. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
  79. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
  80. ACS infectious diseases
  81. CNS & neurological disorders drug targets
  82. BMC psychiatry
  83. JAMA surgery
  84. Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior
  85. GigaByte (Hong Kong, China)
  86. Plant & cell physiology
  87. Journal of thoracic oncology : official publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
  88. Postgraduate medicine
  89. Chest
  90. Life (Basel, Switzerland)
  91. European journal of medicinal chemistry
  92. Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)

Cannabinoids

  1. Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.)
  2. Biochemical genetics
  3. Planta medica
  4. Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde
  5. ACS omega
View 55 additional sources
  1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
  2. Bioorganic chemistry
  3. Journal of cellular biochemistry
  4. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
  5. Frontiers in plant science
  6. Journal of medical case reports
  7. Scientific reports
  8. Current cardiology reports
  9. Frontiers in pharmacology
  10. Alternative therapies in health and medicine
  11. Cannabis and cannabinoid research
  12. International journal of nanomedicine
  13. Journal of translational medicine
  14. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
  15. Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
  16. Journal of separation science
  17. International journal of molecular sciences
  18. Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry
  19. Journal of medicinal chemistry
  20. Current pharmaceutical design
  21. Cureus
  22. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
  23. CNS drugs
  24. Journal of experimental botany
  25. Future medicinal chemistry
  26. BMC plant biology
  27. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
  28. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
  29. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
  30. International review of neurobiology
  31. Natural product research
  32. Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy
  33. Heliyon
  34. Journal of cannabis research
  35. Journal of chromatography. A
  36. Turkish journal of pharmaceutical sciences
  37. Journal of AOAC International
  38. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
  39. Respiratory research
  40. AoB PLANTS
  41. Pharmaceutics
  42. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
  43. Expert review of neurotherapeutics
  44. Recent advances in drug delivery and formulation
  45. Wiener klinische Wochenschrift
  46. Plant physiology
  47. Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society
  48. Medical cannabis and cannabinoids
  49. Journal of food and drug analysis
  50. Oncology reports
  51. Journal of ethnopharmacology
  52. Harm reduction journal
  53. Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia
  54. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
  55. Chemistry & biology

CBD

  1. Biochemical genetics
  2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
  3. Journal of cannabis research
  4. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
  5. Planta medica
View 42 additional sources
  1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
  2. Scientific reports
  3. Cryo letters
  4. Gene
  5. Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology
  6. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
  7. Cannabis and cannabinoid research
  8. Life sciences
  9. Cells
  10. Discover oncology
  11. PloS one
  12. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
  13. Cancers
  14. Pharmaceutics
  15. Medical cannabis and cannabinoids
  16. Current pharmaceutical design
  17. The New Zealand medical journal
  18. Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences
  19. Journal of ethnopharmacology
  20. Cureus
  21. Toxins
  22. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology
  23. Nutrients
  24. Frontiers in plant science
  25. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
  26. Therapeutics and clinical risk management
  27. Deutsches Arzteblatt international
  28. International journal of molecular sciences
  29. Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics
  30. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
  31. Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy
  32. Frontiers in psychiatry
  33. Natural product reports
  34. Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia
  35. Frontiers in pharmacology
  36. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
  37. BMC psychiatry
  38. JAMA surgery
  39. European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics : official journal of Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Pharmazeutische Verfahrenstechnik e.V
  40. Postgraduate medicine
  41. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology
  42. Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)

THC

  1. Biochemical genetics
  2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
  3. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
  4. Planta medica
  5. Human reproduction (Oxford, England)
View 40 additional sources
  1. Scientific reports
  2. Gene
  3. Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology
  4. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
  5. Cannabis and cannabinoid research
  6. PloS one
  7. Biochemical pharmacology
  8. Current pharmaceutical design
  9. Schizophrenia research
  10. Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences
  11. Physiology and molecular biology of plants : an international journal of functional plant biology
  12. Cureus
  13. Toxins
  14. ACS omega
  15. Frontiers in plant science
  16. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
  17. Therapeutics and clinical risk management
  18. Deutsches Arzteblatt international
  19. International journal of molecular sciences
  20. Current medicinal chemistry
  21. Medical cannabis and cannabinoids
  22. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
  23. Pharmaceutics
  24. Nutrients
  25. Natural product reports
  26. Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia
  27. Frontiers in pharmacology
  28. Pain management
  29. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
  30. Clinical therapeutics
  31. BMC psychiatry
  32. JAMA surgery
  33. The American journal of psychiatry
  34. European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics : official journal of Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Pharmazeutische Verfahrenstechnik e.V
  35. Legal medicine (Tokyo, Japan)
  36. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology
  37. Journal of ethnopharmacology
  38. Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
  39. Current opinion in biotechnology
  40. Frontiers in microbiology

TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Frontiers in pharmacology
  3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
  4. Chemosphere
  5. Journal of veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics
View 32 additional sources
  1. Current pain and headache reports
  2. Journal of experimental botany
  3. Human reproduction (Oxford, England)
  4. Journal of cellular biochemistry
  5. Medical cannabis and cannabinoids
  6. Frontiers in plant science
  7. Journal of ethnopharmacology
  8. International journal of molecular sciences
  9. Planta medica
  10. Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics
  11. Journal of cannabis research
  12. Biochemical pharmacology
  13. Toxics
  14. Current pharmaceutical design
  15. Cureus
  16. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
  17. ACS omega
  18. Alternative therapies in health and medicine
  19. BMC plant biology
  20. Schmerz (Berlin, Germany)
  21. Drug discoveries & therapeutics
  22. Pharmaceutics
  23. Nutrients
  24. Orvosi hetilap
  25. Journal of psychoactive drugs
  26. Journal of natural medicines
  27. Yakugaku zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
  28. Current drug abuse reviews
  29. Natural product research
  30. Plant & cell physiology
  31. European journal of medicinal chemistry
  32. Current opinion in biotechnology

Terpenes

  1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
  2. Chemosphere
  3. Neuroscience letters
  4. Frontiers in pharmacology
  5. International journal of nanomedicine
View 25 additional sources
  1. Journal of applied microbiology
  2. Journal of translational medicine
  3. Journal of separation science
  4. International journal of molecular sciences
  5. Biochemical pharmacology
  6. Drug testing and analysis
  7. Trends in plant science
  8. Current pharmaceutical design
  9. Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology
  10. Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences
  11. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
  12. European journal of medicinal chemistry
  13. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
  14. Pharmaceutics
  15. Natural product research
  16. Journal of cannabis research
  17. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
  18. Journal of AOAC International
  19. Frontiers in immunology
  20. Plant physiology
  21. Medical cannabis and cannabinoids
  22. Journal of food and drug analysis
  23. Plant & cell physiology
  24. Journal of ethnopharmacology
  25. BMC plant biology

delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Behavioural brain research
  3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
  4. Journal of applied microbiology
  5. Perspectives in clinical research
View 20 additional sources
  1. Journal of clinical psychopharmacology
  2. Molecular biology reports
  3. CNS drugs
  4. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
  5. International journal of legal medicine
  6. Deutsches Arzteblatt international
  7. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
  8. Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
  9. Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology
  10. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
  11. Medical cannabis and cannabinoids
  12. Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology
  13. Drug intelligence & clinical pharmacy
  14. British journal of hospital medicine (London, England : 2005)
  15. International journal of molecular sciences
  16. Pain management
  17. BMC psychiatry
  18. Legal medicine (Tokyo, Japan)
  19. GigaByte (Hong Kong, China)
  20. Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)

Flavonoids

  1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
  2. Chemistry & biodiversity
  3. Scientific reports
  4. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
  5. Journal of ethnopharmacology
View 18 additional sources
  1. Alternative therapies in health and medicine
  2. International journal of nanomedicine
  3. Journal of advanced pharmaceutical technology & research
  4. Trends in plant science
  5. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
  6. Current pharmaceutical design
  7. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
  8. Frontiers in pharmacology
  9. International journal of molecular sciences
  10. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
  11. Natural product research
  12. Journal of cannabis research
  13. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
  14. Pharmaceutics
  15. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
  16. Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society
  17. Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
  18. Journal of food and drug analysis

Cannabigerol

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Chemosphere
  3. Journal of veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics
  4. Medical cannabis and cannabinoids
  5. Scientific reports
View 11 additional sources
  1. Psychopharmacology
  2. Cannabis and cannabinoid research
  3. Pharmaceutics
  4. The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics
  5. Frontiers in pharmacology
  6. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
  7. Fitoterapia
  8. Heliyon
  9. Planta medica
  10. British journal of pharmacology
  11. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)

cannabinol

  1. Dr. Duke
  2. Chemosphere
  3. Journal of pain research
  4. Journal of ethnopharmacology
  5. Pharmaceutics
View 10 additional sources
  1. Annals of work exposures and health
  2. International journal of molecular sciences
  3. Heliyon
  4. Planta medica
  5. Anticancer research
  6. Cannabis and cannabinoid research
  7. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
  8. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
  9. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
  10. Chest

Activities

Cannabis sativa has 378 reported activities identified across 45 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Psychoactive, Antibacterial, Analgesic, Neuroprotective.

Most Reported Activities

Activity Sources Consensus
Antioxidant Dr. Duke (and other 19 sources) ★★★★★
Psychoactive Frontiers in plant science (and other 18 sources) ★★★★★
Antibacterial Dr. Duke (and other 14 sources) ★★★★★
Analgesic Dr. Duke (and other 13 sources) ★★★★★
Neuroprotective Dr. Duke (and other 12 sources) ★★★★★
Anticancer Dr. Duke (and other 8 sources) ★★★★☆
Anticonvulsant Dr. Duke (and other 7 sources) ★★★★☆
Antifungal Fitoterapia (and other 7 sources) ★★★★☆
Antimicrobial Journal of applied microbiology (and other 7 sources) ★★★★☆
Antiviral Dr. Duke (and other 7 sources) ★★★★☆

Medicinal Uses

Cannabis sativa has 273 reported medicinal uses identified across 45 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include pain, cancer, chronic pain, anxiety, inflammation.

Most Reported Uses

Use Sources Consensus
pain Current treatment options in oncology (and other 37 sources) ★★★★★
cancer Pharmacological research (and other 23 sources) ★★★★★
chronic pain Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie (and other 22 sources) ★★★★★
anxiety Current treatment options in oncology (and other 20 sources) ★★★★★
inflammation Current pharmaceutical design (and other 20 sources) ★★★★★
multiple sclerosis International journal of molecular sciences (and other 17 sources) ★★★★★
nausea Current treatment options in oncology (and other 17 sources) ★★★★★
epilepsy International journal of molecular sciences (and other 15 sources) ★★★★★
depression Chemosphere (and other 14 sources) ★★★★★
Parkinson's disease Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR (and other 8 sources) ★★★★☆

Preparations

Preparations Sources Consensus
cannabis extracts Frontiers in pharmacology (and other 3 sources) ★★☆☆☆
Extracts Biotech (Basel (Switzerland)) (and other 2 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
extract Nutrients (and other 2 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
extracts Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.) (and other 2 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
flower Frontiers in pharmacology (and other 2 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
leaves Natural product research (and other 2 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
marijuana Revista medica del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (and other 2 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
oil Frontiers in pharmacology (and other 2 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
seeds International review of neurobiology (and other 2 sources) ★☆☆☆☆
CBD Extract Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) ★☆☆☆☆