| MadSci Network: Botany |
If you use a good search engine, such as google.com, and search for invasive marijuana, you would find lots of info if marijuana was an invasive plant. Hemp or marijuana (Cannabis sativa) is sometimes listed as a weed or noxious weed in the United States but it does not seem to be an invasive plant. If it were an invasive species, then marijuana growers would not have to go to such trouble to cultivate it. Marijuana is listed as a noxious weed in Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. However, its designation as a noxious weed may be due to its status as an illegal drug. If marijuana was invasive, you would expect many more states would list it, particularly California where marijuana is one of the most economically important crops, despite its illegal status. CBS estimates the California marijuana crop is worth $5 to 10 billion per year. Total U.S. marijuana production ranks it as the fourth most valuable crop, behind only corn, soybeans and hay. The Invasive and Exotic Species of North America website does not list marijuana as a weed in their database. The Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group does list marijuana in their extensive database of weeds and invasive plants but provides no details on it. They also have no fact sheet on marijuana. References Cannabis sativa on USDA Plant Database CBS Report on California Marijuana NORML Report on U.S. Domestic Marijuana Production Re: what other uses does the marijuana plant have besides smoking it?
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