Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a flowering plant native to Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. It has been used as a drug for both recreational and spiritual purposes and in various traditional medicines for centuries.
Plants are either male with stamens and pollen or female with pistils. The painting is of a female plant.
It is also known as hemp, although this term is often used to refer only to varieties of Cannabis cultivated for non-drug use. Cannabis has long been used for hemp fiber, hemp seeds and their oils, hemp leaves for use as vegetables and as juice, medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive component of cannabis, which is one of the 483 known compounds in the plant.
Hops (Humulus) is Cannabis’ closest plant relative.
