When I was just starting my ganja grow journey, I dreaded male cannabis plants.

But the truth is..back then, I simply had zero clue that a male plant has so many invaluable yet little-known advantages and uses!

Read on and learn more about the incredible uses of the male cannabis plant!

Male Cannabis Plants Help Maintain Genetics

Ultimately, the cannabis plant appeared 40 – 50 million years ago. Then it made it to the present day.

And that’s simply because of its unique adaptability.

Over time, cannabis has developed numerous distinct traits to ensure the plants not merely survive but also thrive!

One of the incredible evolutionary advantages to the ganja family?

Ganja plants are dioecious species.

Dioecious plants possess both male and female characteristics.

Nowadays, advanced cannabis breeding allows us to cultivate strains that exhibit the most desired features.

Cannabis breeding is about merging the genes of selected male and female cannabis strains (Hail the miracle of pollination).

Gene expression in cannabis is a hot topic on the global ganja scene. It holds essential keys to optimizing the myriad of benefits.

Much like humans, cannabis strains inherit the genetic pool of their parent strains.

What About Hermaphroditism?

Yes. Cannabis can also self-pollinate.

Thus, some weed plants can display both male and female features, aka hermaphroditism. Nah, not really the best-case scenario for growers.

To lay hands on a truly epic strain that can reward you with dope crops, you need both a male and a female plant parent.

Hermaphrodite ganja plants offer a lower-quality harvest. There’s a great chance to obtain a plant full of seeds unfortunately.

Some strains are more prone to hermaphroditism than others. Also, certain environmental conditions can trigger hermaphroditism.

Breeding Feminized Autoflowering Ganja Plants

Nowadays, female auto-flowering cannabis strains are the most popular choice among growers.

Female auto-flowering seeds will only give birth to female ganja plants.

The female plant is interbred in such a way as to limit the chances of male plants invading the garden.

But while some female plants can auto-flower, interbreeding these plants exclusively risks genetic mutations.

What’s more, weaker genes can become dominant.

That’s why proper cannabis breeding would be impossible without male plants.

Male plants dilute the current pool of genes.

This includes ensuring cannabis:

resistance to pests
cannabinoid and terpene profiles
avoiding negative mutations

Male Cannabis Plants & Auto-Flowering Plants

As a rule of thumb, female auto-flowering plants are not cloneable.

Also, the pollen of male plants is an absolute necessity to fertilize female plants. Only then will the auto-flowering female plants produce seeds.

However, if male plants pollinate female plants, the females will stop their focus on producing buds. Instead, they will start making seeds.

So, the key here is what you personally want to achieve by growing cannabis.

Are you into breeding your own strains? Do you want to produce your very own seeds sustainably? Then male plants are your best friends!
Are you strictly after bountiful crops? You can still make magnificent use of males without harming the fruitful and abundant harvest.

Male Cannabis Plants & Cannabinoids

Cannabinoid potency is the highest in female plants.

But this doesn’t mean that males do not produce cannabinoids.

Yup, a male plant does also produce cannabinoids.

In fact, males produce a wider variety of cannabinoids! Most of them are found in higher concentrations in the leaves, though.

Meanwhile, when it comes to a female cannabis plant, the highest cannabinoid levels reside in the beautiful flowers, aka the buds.

4 Fantastic Benefits Of Male Cannabis Plants!

1. Male Cannabis Plants Are 100% Edible!

You can use males to produce hash from resin. You do need a large amount of plant material, though.

Also, you can experiment with homemade tinctures, oils, and even topicals.

Another option is to directly consume the leaves of the male. Think of raw juiced smoothies, yummy salads, garnish, cocktails, and other DIY healthy treats.

Consuming the leaves directly won’t get high. But you can still reap wellness gains!

You can decarb it to harness some psychoactive potency if you have enough plant material.

For example, this can work great for whipping a batch of that me-the-ganja-MasterChef cannabutter.

2. Male Cannabis Plants Are Useful To Breed With Popular Auto-flowering Strains

Ultimately, the male cannabis plant plays a vital role in:

improving disease resistance,
increasing cannabinoid variety and
overall strengthening of the genetics

3. Unleash Creativity!

Make the dopest surprises for your cannabis buddies. Use the leaves for DIY smudge sticks, as home decoration, as DIY art pieces, or why not as a wonderful bouquet.

You may just as well nail your social media game. Say yes to artistic photos with your male superstar!

4. Males Can Be Used In The Production Of Durable Textiles

Even though it’s an extensive process, you can make this at home (though you need plenty of patience and enthusiasm).

Who knows, you may get curious about this whole thing and establish the next cannabis textile (h)-empire!

Male VS Female Cannabis Plant

How to tell apart a male vs a female cannabis plant?

You can clearly see the signs of female plants within the first 3 weeks of growing. That’s the vegetative stage. It takes place long before your green queens start flowering.

Keep in mind that indoor-grown cannabis tends to be quicker to indicate its sex.

It grows faster in a controlled environment with proper UV light and nutrient optimization.

Ultimately, during the vegetative stage, males gradually display sacs on the joints of the cannabis plant.

Or as many growers like to joke around, you can see the male’s balls. That’s where the pollen is stored.

Meanwhile, females have these sacs too. However, you will see the tiny hairs (aka pistils) sticking out with females. Over time, the hairs will cover the entire flower.

Another indication of a male cannabis plant is that it is often taller. Also, the stalk tends to be thicker, and there are fewer leaves than in females.

Pre Flowering Male Cannabis Plants

You don’t need to condemn or fear the appearance of male plants in your garden. There’s plenty of time for you to indicate the sex and choose how to act accordingly.

Before the buds grow, the male plant will display a pre-flowering stage.

This is when you can see the sacs.

You’ll notice that the stem diverges from the stalk near the top of the plant. Just keep in check the parts of the plant that are closest to the light.

Terpenes, Male Cannabis Plants & Pest Control

Another invaluable asset of male cannabis plants is terpenes.

Yup, some highly beneficial terpenes are found more often in male cannabis plants.

These aromatic molecules have a considerable impact on the overall well-being of the crops. That’s because certain terpenes act to repel insects and other pests.

These include:

Pinene
Limonene

As long as the male is some distance away from the female plant, you can keep the male without risking a poor harvest.

Males can help to repel pests away from the females without fertilizing them.

Beware, though.

Strong winds can carry the pollen from the males to the females.

So, if there is severe wind, you should move the males to a separate space, away from the females.

Also, you need to avoid handling the male and then immediately handling the female.

This way, you may accidentally transfer some pollen from the males.

Bees may get to pollinate your females while buzzing happily and traveling from the male plant to the ladies in the garden.

However, bee pollination is an improbable scenario.

Wrapping Up: Male Cannabis Plants

It’s crystal clear, my bud buddies: male cannabis plants are a vital part of the ganja revolutionary puzzle.

We’re doomed without them!

Yeah, male plants don’t produce those large buds we crave for.

Also, if they pollinate a female plant, the crops will be decreased. The female cannabis plant will focus on producing seeds instead of sugar-coated flowers.

However, none of the above means that we should simply discard males.

They have unique benefits and pack a big punch of little-known uses that every creative weed fan would love to explore!

Male Cannabis Plant: An Essential Part Of Nature