Male Cannabis Plants: Identifying Cannabis Gender

Does your cannabis plant have male flowers? Many growers get rid of male plants as soon as they’re spotted.

But how do you tell if your plant is male? Are male plants useful in any way? Unfortunately, male cannabis plants are unnecessarily underrated. We wouldn’t have our industry today if it weren’t for them.

They do serve a breeding purpose, but you can also use their remains for your own DIY products. Here’s how to spot a male flower and what you can do with them.

The cannabis plant is unique for many reasons. One being that it creates chemical compounds called cannabinoids, which produce the herb’s psychoactive and therapeutic effects.

Another primary reason is that the plant has two distinct sexes. Cannabis plants can be either male or female, a rarity in the plant world.

Most plants produce “perfect flowers,” which are hermaphroditic and can reproduce by themselves.

For cannabis plants to reproduce, a female plant needs to be pollinated by a male plant. Once pollination happens, the female plant can produce seeds and pass on genetic information.

When most consumers pick up some bud from a dispensary, they get a dried bud from a female cannabis flower. Unfertilized female cannabis flowers produce the most cannabinoid-containing resin, which contains the coveted psychoactive cannabinoid THC.

When grown, male plants are separated from females and often destroyed as soon as they’re spotted. Unlike female flowers, which produce seeds, male flowers produce pollen.

Male flowers have a more common flower structure, producing a soft five-petaled flower once they bloom. Prior to bloom, male flowers develop in clusters of tightly closed buds. Upon bloom, male flowers release pollen into the air. Once that pollen gets onto your female flowers, consider the crop ruined.

It’s not difficult to see that male plants are vital in cannabis breeding programs. However, these flowers may have another trick up their sleeves.

A 1971 United Nations report tested the levels of cannabinoids in male and female plants in different parts of the world. Comparing samples in eight different regions, researchers found that male and female cannabis flowers produced about the same amounts of THC.

The highest testing sample only produced about 2.8% of the psychoactive. By today’s standards, that is minuscule. Today, an unfertilized female flower can produce over 30% THC.

Because female plants are the cash crop of the cannabis world, they are tended to with care and given ample nourishment. For many growers, producing a plant with as potent a cannabinoid profile as possible is the end goal.

Unfortunately, male plants just don’t stack up on that front. However, a high-potency male or a male with other desirable characteristics will make for an excellent father plant when breeding new strains (like gorilla cookies).

Early in the vegetative growth phase, cannabis plants produce small preflowers. These preflowers help growers determine the sex of a plant before any accidental pollination can occur, which would lower the quality of the crop.

Look for these preflowers three to six weeks into the vegetative cycle. Preflowers will often be found on nodes close to the plant’s light source. A male preflower will look like a tiny, tightly closed bud. A female preflower will produce a calyx with one long, white pistillate hair.

Once the sex of the plant is identified, removing the male plant is recommended. While some may cultivate the male to use in later breeding projects, many growers will simply discard the plant.

The pollination of a female plant can drastically reduce the quality of the end crop, as it is challenging to sell cannabis buds that contain seeds.

Rather than throwing the male plant away, there are a few things you can do with the remains.

Fan leaves and dried stems can be used to make teas or infused into topical creams and lotions. Fan leaves and buds can also be eaten raw or dried and used as a simple kitchen spice. For all other plant remains, reduce waste and ensure they end up in the compost.