Characteristics of cannabis seeds
Cannabis is the only plant whose males and females can be distinguished visually. Cannabis products used medically or recreationally come from female plants.
A female plant must be fertilized by a male to produce seed. Some female plants left flowering for a long time can fertilize nearby females like a male plant. Once seeds mature, the female begins to die, and its buds are dried for recreational use or CBD oil extraction.
What are regular cannabis seeds?
These seeds are also available in our country and may be planted with ministry approval in the 19 provinces where hemp cultivation is permitted. Although they are the world's most widely used seed type, their drawback is that approximately half produce male plants: the seeds are a mix of male and female. Regular seeds cost less than feminized seeds.
What are feminized cannabis seeds?
It is impossible to tell whether a cannabis seed is male or female. This becomes clear only after germination. Some growers therefore prefer feminized seeds.
Feminized cannabis seeds are used to grow only female plants. Growers produce them by carefully stressing female plants. When a mature female is stressed, it produces seeds to preserve its genetic line. Seeds from a stressed female retain the mother's genetic makeup and contain only female chromosomes. Because feminized seeds have only one genetic sequence, they cannot produce males.
Feminized seeds are larger and more robust, but more expensive than regular seeds. They are mainly preferred by farmers producing high-CBD cannabis biomass. Their sale and cultivation are prohibited in our country.
What are autoflowering cannabis seeds?
For cannabis to enter flowering, its daily light exposure must be reduced to 12 hours. Autoflowering seeds, however, flower after a certain time regardless of environmental factors.
Autoflowering seeds are available in indica, sativa and hybrid varieties. Their sale and cultivation are prohibited in our country.
Cannabis changing sex
When cannabis encounters unsuitable weather or stress for various reasons, it can change sex, fertilize itself and continue reproducing. Watch for this because it may harm other cannabis plants in the field.
What is the difference between a cannabis seed and a clone?
A clone is made by rooting a small branch taken from a plant under suitable conditions. The rooted plant retains the characteristics of its mother plant.
Seeds, like children, carry characteristics from both parents. Maintaining consistent quality from seed is therefore difficult. Growers generally continue production using clones from a good variety rather than growing from seed.
Several factors determine seed quality. First, seeds must be allowed to mature fully on the plant. They must then be stored properly to prevent mold or other damaging pathogens. Seeds should be kept in a dark, cool place and used within 16 months or frozen for future use.
Genetics is the most important factor in seed quality. You need good genetics to grow quality cannabis. Obtaining good genetics can take years. By cross-pollinating your highest-value plants, you can develop your own genetics.
Seeds with high CBD and THC levels
CBD is one of the chemical components of cannabis. You can find our detailed article on this subject here. Research in recent years has found CBD beneficial in treating many diseases. Because high-THC cannabis is used recreationally, people grew high-THC varieties for many years, making high-CBD varieties rare.
Especially with growing interest in CBD in recent years, growers have turned toward high-CBD varieties. Many countries now permit hemp production with THC below 0.3%.
The legislation published in the Official Gazette also explicitly requires limited THC levels.
ARTICLE 13 – (1) The primary purpose of inspections is to prevent unauthorized cultivation and narcotic production, while ensuring that permitted hemp production uses suitable techniques and low-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) varieties through training and extension activities.
Should I pay high prices for cannabis seeds?
Frankly, we were surprised by reports that hemp seeds cost TRY 1,000 per kilogram in Türkiye. Paying that much for seeds whose genetics you do not know makes little sense. It depends on your purpose, of course, but genetics is crucial if you want a product for healthcare.
In our view, it would be better to focus on how this sector should function and take appropriate steps before pursuing opportunistic profits. We would also point out that Türkiye does not yet have a facility to process hemp fiber or fabric.
