What is the purpose of THC to marijuana plants?

[FoCo(No.Co)]

That is a very interesting thing. So we'd be better off pollinating a week or two before they're ready to be pulled anyway?

No by that time the resin glands have already undergone the process of maturation(not to mention most of the pistils have retracted and are no longer fertile).

A seedless plant will of course produce more resin glands that a seeded one(becuase its spending less energy on making seeds and more energy on making new flowers). But my point was that resin development in the existing trichomes does not slow or stop when pollination occurs.

 

[rrog]

You are mistaken. The trichome is the resin, THC is in the resin.

The Trichome is a structure with a wall and cuticle. There's a secretory cavity inside. The cavity is filled with Cannabinoids. Aren't the Cannabinoids gooey and what people refer to when talking about resin?

 

[rrog]

But my point was that resin development in the existing trichomes does not slow or stop when pollination occurs.

Interesting. I guess that's not surprising (to me anyway) since I don't feel the resin is primarily related to pollination

 

[Kola Radical]

Receptors in the brain.

Corruption down the drain.

Must be the friggin' devil. Cannabis is here to put an end to oppression and lies.

Cannabis use leads to Joseph Campbell addiction.

 

[Kdizzle]

The plant only gets pollinated if the pollen spore makes it to the female's pistil. Most of the resin glands are on the seed bract and surrounding areas and would not contribute to capturing pollen.


This is absolutely not true. In fact, fertilization of the ovum causes resin development to accelerate. In Morocco cultivators dont bother to pull males and still make some of the finest hash in the world.

I belive that they don't pull the plant but I think it's for a different reason. The thc glands that are already there don't disapear and when a plant gets polinated, the whole plant does not stop resin production. Only the little area that got the polin. Also, if ur making hash ur using just the oils so even if there are seeds the plant still has plenty of other resin to offer.

Now the oils produced are NOT thc. The thc is contained in the entire plant including the essensial oils and resin glands. So the resin is most liely to aide in capturing polin so again. This boils down to why does this plant make this thc?

 

[ericed]

I don't understand the theory that it is to repel animals. I thought we all agree that heat is needed to activate the THC? Why can't I just eat a bud and get so messed up I never want to touch the stuff again?

 

[FoCo(No.Co)]

I don't understand the theory that it is to repel animals. I thought we all agree that heat is needed to activate the THC? Why can't I just eat a bud and get so messed up I never want to touch the stuff again?

It doesn't necessarily need to get the animal high to have repulsive properties. Have you ever tried chewing on a wet canna bud? Its the definition of repulsive.

The other day I watched this awesome documentary that I think provides some clarity to this issue. Here is the link to part one on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr04g0xcy90

The cannabis expert dude says THC has two functions: to protect the plant against UVB and to guard against animals(due to the taste of it).

 

[HerbGlaze]

To get us medicated?

 

[FoCo(No.Co)]

To get us medicated?

Nope its just a coincidence that we have cannabinoid receptors and this wonderful plant produces them.

And what a wonderful coincidence it is.

 

[messn'n'gommin']

Just a clarification, but, "herbivorous attack" usually, in the case of planta, means insect attack and less roaming beasts...lol...like man. Cannabis has few natural enemies as compared to other plants, something is naturally repelling the majority of insects. What puzzles me is just how aphids, red spider mites, etc. can work around the defense mechanisms?

I'm no botanist, but, I don't think that the purpose of the resins is for pollination. I am wondering how pollen can find the pistil if it's stuck to the resin? At any rate, UV-A is what causes your skin to burn, UV-B damages your DNA, and UV-C destroys it. The carotenoid and flavinoid photoreceptors are most active around 290nm-310nm and 360nm-380nm and cause a cascade effect for the plant to increase cannabinoid compounds and essential oils as a defense mechanism against environmental damage. The plant will also increase cannabinoid production in response against herbivorous, pathogenic or fungal attack. Inefficient? Yeah, but it allows the species to survive and for nature, that is enough. It is man that breeds for the best qualities that already exist in flora and fauna for man's own benefit, whether it be the grasses, bovines, or weed, etc.

Namaste, mess