Ruderalis: An Unsung Hero in the Cannabis World

Most everyone familiar with cannabis has heard of indica and sativa varieties, but did you know that there is a third variety of cannabis known as ruderalis?

While the two better known varieties were originally from south central Asia, ruderalis can trace its roots back to Russia. This smaller and hardier type of cannabis is also shorter, often only reaching between one and two and a half feet high.

Another interesting characteristic of ruderalis is its low THC count; it is so low that it is not used recreationally. It does feature cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive component of cannabis. This makes it a great candidate for medical cannabis, especially with people afraid of introducing THC-rich cannabis on the world.

Recently ruderalis has become a great ally to breeders and growers. Because of its ability to control size and growing time, the strain allows for a more consistent grow that is easy to manage indoors. Ruderalis can also create auto-flowering seeds, which allows ruderalis-enhanced strains to thrive regardless of the light cycle, instead of waiting for the proper quantity and quality of light needed for a traditional plant.  Because of this the plants will almost always bud at the five to seven week mark.

This is especially important in sativa/ruderalis hybrids. Sativa plants are typically too tall to optimize indoors. However, by breeding the plant with ruderalis, you can ensure that your plant will sprout on time and not become unmanageable.

While ruderalis will likely never be as prevalent as sativa and indica, it does play a big role in cannabis production. Indoor growers are starting to utilize the hardy and robust plant to ensure they make their quotas and can easily manage their harvest. At the end of the day, it looks like ruderalis could be the unsung hero of the cannabis world.