Cannabis Sativa: a complete guide

The Enecta products:

they are not medicines;
they are obtained from hemp varieties registered in the Common European Register and in compliance with the other requirements provided by law 242/2016;
they have been duly notified in the European Cosmetic Products Notification Portal (CPNP).

Our blog articles are for informational purposes only and are not intended to qualify our products as medicines or to attribute therapeutic properties to them.

Indice dei contenuti

The Cannabis Sativa L., also known as hemp, is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the Cannabaceae family, known since ancient times and currently cultivated in various regions of the world for both medical and industrial use. The hemp plant can be used in green building, to produce textile material, oil, flours, cosmetics, or cannabinoid extracts, but also for the phytoremediation of soils. Let's discover together all the secrets of this much-talked-about and little-explored plant.

PHYSICAL WELL-BEING

Olio di CBD 3% - 10ml

physical support, general well-being

€12.95

PHYSICAL WELL-BEING

Olio di CBD 10%

Physical relief, moderate tensions

€31.95

PHYSICAL WELL-BEING

Cannabis Oil Capsule: le Capsule di CBD

CBD Capsules 10% - Physical Support

€28.76 ~~€31.95~~ 10% off

PHYSICAL WELL-BEING

Olio di CBD 24%

Persistent discomfort, relief for intense physical discomforts

€71.95 ~~€79.95~~ 10% off

MENTAL WELL-BEING

Olio di CBD full spectrum 5% - 10ml

Mental relaxation, relaxation

€21.95

MENTAL WELL-BEING

Olio di CBD full spectrum 15% - 10ml

Mental rest, balance on the busiest days

€45.00

MENTAL WELL-BEING

Olio di CBD 30% full spectrum - 10ml - Enecta.it

Olio di CBD 30% - 10ml

Mental fatigue, strong search for emotional balance

€84.95

Sleep

CBNight FORMULA Classic - 30 ml

Drops to help sleep and restore the natural sleep-wake cycle.

€22.46 ~~€24.95~~ 10% off

Sleep

CBNight FORMULA PLUS - 30 ml

Natural and powerful drops to promote deep and restorative sleep

€34.16 ~~€37.95~~ 10% off

IMMUNE DEFENSES

Integratore per le difese immunitarie - 60 caps

With vitamin B6, Vit C, natural extracts, and hemp

€22.46 ~~€24.95~~ 10% off

IMMUNE DEFENSES

Caramelle con vitamina C ed estratto di canapa

To strengthen the immune defenses

€13.46 ~~€14.95~~ 10% off

MENTAL WELL-BEING

Caramelle con CBD Full Spectrum

A natural support to promote balance and improve mood

€11.16 ~~€13.95~~ 20% off

The botanical characteristics of Cannabis Sativa

The Cannabis Sativa is an annual herbaceous plant, which means it completes its life cycle in one year. It can grow to a height ranging between 1.5 and 6 meters, although some varieties are smaller and stop between 0.5 and 5 meters. Its root, called "a tapered, is long and sinks deeply into the ground, while the stem can be upright or branched and has a resinous surface, with an interior sometimes hollow above the first leaves. This structure gives the plant a solid and well-rooted appearance, making it robust, durable, and suitable for various environmental conditions.

The iconic leaves of Cannabis sativa develop on petioles (the small "stems" that attach the leaves to the stalk) and are composed of thin, elongated leaflets. Each leaf can have from 5 to 13 leaflets and features serrated edges. These leaflets can grow up to 10 cm in length and 1.5 cm in width. An interesting fact is that on the lower part of the plant, the leaves grow "in pairs" (that is, opposite each other), while on the upper part they alternate as the plant approaches maturity.

Cannabis plants can be monoecious or dioecious. The monoecious plants contain both male and female flowers on the same plant and are mainly used to produce edible seeds. The dioecious plants, instead, have male and female flowers on two separate plants. Cannabis germinates in spring and, depending on the variety, blooms in mid or late summer.

Cannabis Sativa: history and cultivation

The Cannabis Sativa has an ancient history dating back more than 10,000 years. It began to be cultivated in Central Asia and the Middle East for the production of textile fiber. Then it began to be cultivated in England and gradually spread throughout the West. Thanks to its ability to grow in difficult soils, such as sandy or marshy river plains, Cannabis Sativa played a central role in the economy of many countries for centuries. Being an extremely versatile and resilient plant, it was used to produce oil for lighting, the fibre for the fabrics e la paper, the ropes for navigation and even the animal feed. In Italy, the cities of Bologna and Ferrara became famous for the production of very high-quality hemp, mainly used for naval armament, due to the high demand for sails and ropes for ships.

The story also reminds us of the recreational use of Cannabis sativa. Consider that around the mid-1800s in Paris, the Club des Hashischins or the Club of Hashish Eaters was founded, un gruppo che si dedicava a sperimentare gli effetti di alcune sostanze, in particolare dell'hashish, un derivato della Cannabis con un contenuto di THC molto alto, oggi illegale in Italia e in molti altri paesi. All'epoca tuttavia il Club aveva molto successo ed era frequentato anche da poeti e scrittori molto noti, come e Tra i suoi membri ci furono scrittori e poeti come Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas e Honoré de Balzac.

The success of the Cannabis Sativa plant continued until the era of the first coal ships, then demand began to decline. With the introduction of cotton and jute cultivation in India and the United States, hemp was gradually replaced. The discovery of oil also had a negative impact: new fuels replaced hemp oil. Finally, the blow: in 1937 in the United States there was the Marijuana Tax Act, that banned the cultivation of hemp, even for industrial and medical uses. The famous publishing chain Hearst, which produced wood pulp paper and used chemical solvents, supported this prohibition, and DuPont patented nylon, focusing on synthetic materials. There was a long press campaign in which hemp was associated solely and exclusively with large amounts of marijuana, its recreational use, and criminal behavior. Prohibition then began to undermine the reputation of the Cannabis sativa plant, with effects still noticeable today.

Today the Cannabis plant is in every respect an ecological and industrial resource, it is cultivated to produce natural fabrics, bioplastics, food, cosmetics, and cannabinoid extracts, and despite still facing many legislative challenges, ranks among the most eco-friendly crops of our time due to the numerous benefits it offers to the environment.

The benefits of Cannabis Sativa for the environment

The cultivation of Cannabis sativa is pesticide-free

Hemp is a strong and versatile plant, capable of growing in any type of soil and naturally resistant to pests. This means that no pesticides or harmful chemicals are needed to cultivate it. In our fields in Abruzzo, for example, we grow our plants in 100% organic soils for 100% organic products.

The cultivation of hemp requires little water

Hemp is a plant with low water requirements, making it an ideal crop for industrial uses such as fabric production. Compared to cotton, hemp requires much less water to grow, thereby reducing the environmental impact of textile production.

The Cannabis Sativa purifies the soil

The hemp plant is used in phytoremediation of the soil because it is capable of absorbing toxic substances such as heavy metals from the soil. Therefore, when cultivated in polluted environments, it helps reduce the impact of decades of industrial pollution, contributing to the regeneration of the ecosystem.

Cannabis Sativa has a superpower: it reduces carbon emissions

Few plants are as effective at reducing carbon emissions as the Cannabis Sativa plant. This plant absorbs carbon dioxide from the air, helping to reduce greenhouse gas levels. Growing hemp therefore means contributing to reducing emissions and improving air quality

The Cannabis plant is an eco-friendly alternative

Hemp provides light, strong, and durable fibers, perfect for green building. From the hemp and lime mixture, panels with excellent sound-absorbing, durable, and sustainable properties are obtained, ideal for environmentally friendly constructions. Hemp can be used to produce an ecological, clean, and highly efficient biofuel. Not only does it burn at lower temperatures compared to other biofuels, reducing environmental impact, but it also does not smell and is completely renewable. Hemp is also perfect for creating completely natural textile fibers, free from chemical contamination. Hemp yarn is strong, comfortable, and environmentally friendly.

Cannabis indica and sativa: what are the differences?

Second recent studies, although it is now common to distinguish between sativa and indica varieties, it is genetically impossible to prove whether a plant is indica or sativa because there are no differences in genes or cannabinoid content. The difference between Cannabis indica and sativa is not genetic but only phenotypic, so we are only talking about the physical characteristics of the plant and not the cannabinoid content. Scientific research suggests avoiding this misleading classification and focusing on each individual active compound present in the plant, therefore on cannabinoids and terpenes.

Cannabis Sativa: effects and properties

The properties and effects of Cannabis Sativa, mainly anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and relaxing, are attributable to the action of the various active compounds produced by the plant, particularly cannabinoids and terpenes. The tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) e il cannabidiol (CBD) they are two cannabinoids capable of interacting with the receptors present in the human endocannabinoid system. Thanks to this interaction, cannabinoids can exert effects on the areas of pain, sleep, and mood.

The THC, known for its psychoactive effects, has a primarily analgesic and relaxing effect and is one of the compounds used for pain treatment in patients who use therapeutic cannabis with a medical prescription. Therapeutic cannabis with a high THC content is also used for pain associated with multiple sclerosis, certain rheumatic diseases, to stimulate appetite in patients with loss of appetite, and for neuropathies.

The CBD Instead, it is a cannabinoid that, unlike THC, has no psychoactive effects. Appreciated for its calming, anti-inflammatory, and pain-relieving properties, it also helps counteract the side effects of THC and is a natural and effective support both for relieving chronic and acute pain, and for managing anxiety and sleeping better.

What do you think? Isn't Cannabis Sativa much more than what they want us to believe? We believe it is one of the plants of the future, it must continue to be cultivated, and it is essential to provide accurate information. You can help us too. How? By continuing to read us and choosing our shop for your natural purchases.