Why So Rude? Cannabis Ruderalis Explained
Cannabis Ruderalis Buds. Image by Mohammed Tawsif Salam, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Most people are familiar with the species of cannabis. Sativa, Indica and their synthesis being a Hybrid. But did you know there's a type of cannabis that nobody ever talks about?
Indeed, Cannabis Ruderalis is another subspecies of weed that many don’t even know exists! And often, it is used in modern cannabis strains. But what are the effects, what does it look like and why is it mostly brushed under the rug? Let’s explore the underdog of cannabis and understand why it’s not talked about more.
What Is Cannabis Ruderalis?
Cannabis Ruderalis was first discovered in Russia, and is present in other parts of Eastern Europe as well as Central Asia. It was found by D.E. Janischewsky, a Russian Botanist, in Southern Siberia in the year 1924.
Ruderalis refers to the word “ruderal”, meaning a plant that can grow amongst waste. So this type of cannabis grows easily, even in areas disturbed by humans. You can find Ruderalis growing in abandoned lots, on railway embankments or even sprouting on the sidewalk.
Most researchers refer to Cannabis Ruderalis as another species of cannabis, however it is debated amongst botanists. Many believe it to be a subspecies descended from Indica. Since Indica also thrives in cold, harsh environments, this speculation is not an obscure thought.
Cannabis Ruderalis crossbreed growing naturally. Image by BarneyElo, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Are the Key Traits of Ruderalis?
She may be small, but she is mighty. A distinct trait of Ruderalis is its adaptivity and resilience. This plant literally thrives in Siberia! It has a sturdy and strong stem that supports chunky clusters of buds. The color is normally a bright, lime green and the leaves are skinny, similar to Sativa.
Ruderalis is much smaller than other cannabis plants, reaching about 2.5ft at its tallest. Much shorter than Sativa plants, which can grow taller than 10 feet. Since it grows so short, Ruderalis requires much less nutrients to sustain itself. This makes it great for beginner growers, as they also require much less pruning and fertilizer.
Ruderalis contains very minimal amounts of THC, lacking so much that many state that it doesn’t have the ability to induce psychoactive effects. You’d want to believe it possess unique effects that are quite different from the other species, but it barely produces enough THC to actually get you high. So by itself, Ruderalis was largely seen as useless.
On the positive side, Ruderalis has a good amount of CBD and has been used commonly in folk medicine. Even if the psychoactive effects are weak, the CBD makes up for all that is missed. The relaxation and analgesic effects produced by CBD help those with inflammation, anxiety, and chronic pain.
What is Autoflowering Cannabis?
Most of Ruderalis’ glory is due to its autoflowering nature. But what exactly does that mean?
Cannabis normally blooms based on the photoperiod, or the light cycle for the season. Photoperiod cannabis evolved to flower towards the end of the summer, as the light exposure became shorter day by day. Plants that grow based on photoperiod typically are ready to harvest between 12-16 weeks. They require growers to switch the light cycle to promote the growth, and mimic the natural outdoor lighting to induce flowering.
Autoflowering differs from photoperiod cannabis, because autoflowering relies on age rather than light cycles. Cannabis Ruderalis naturally flowers when it is old enough to, and all modern autoflowering strains inherit that trait from Ruderalis. It survives well in its native cold climates, so it works hard to flower quickly before the harsh winters. Since Ruderalis grows in Central Asia and Siberia, it is closer to the Arctic Circle and thus spends its summers in nearly 24 hours of sunlight. Autoflowering cannabis is ready for harvest much quicker than photoperiod, between 8-12 weeks.
Adaptable and efficient, Ruderalis became very advantageous to the cannabis market. Crossbreeding Sativas and Indicas with Ruderalis merged the best of both worlds. The higher THC content of the other species was combined with the rich CBD content and productive flowering nature to make impactful strains at a much higher pace.
This new discovery saved growers a lot of time and labor, because they didn’t have to consistently adjust their indoor lighting to imitate the summer sunshine. These plants can be exposed to 18 or even 24 hours of light, and they will still automatically flower. However, since Ruderalis is much smaller than other plants, the yields of the product are normally not as large and have less potency. Over time and with meticulous breeding practices and strong light exposure, many strains were transformed into potent and high yielding cannabis.
Cannabis Ruderalis growing next to concrete. Image by BarneyElo, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
How is Ruderalis Used in Today’s Cannabis Breeding?
It took great minds to find the hidden assets of this type of cannabis. Breeders like Neville Shoenmakers, the inventor of Haze, experimented with Ruderalis. However, he was not able to get a stabilized result that satisfied him, and abandoned these projects. It was difficult to get the synthesis of potency, health and complete autoflowering capabilities.
The first popular strains made with Ruderalis were done by The Joint Doctor. He was raised on a farm and had a natural green thumb. His interest in cannabis became more refined as he grew some seeds in his college dormitory, which led to a career of cannabis breeding.
The Joint Doctor was introduced to Ruderalis by a friend from Mexico, who gave him seeds from a strain called “Mexican Rudy”. What it was genetically composed of, we can’t be completely sure, but it was most likely a landrace Mexican strain bred with a Ruderalis plant.
After discovering how quickly this Mexican Rudy plant flowered, The Joint Doctor decided to crossbreed it with Northern Lights #2. Northern Lights was significantly more potent and stable, however the F1 seeds they produced did not have complete autoflowering capabilities. He crossbred these F1 seeds with a couple other strains, one being William’s Wonder. This crossbreed was named Willy’s Automatic. It produced male plants that he used to pollinate the females, and the next generation of seeds were all 12 inch tall autoflowers. He refined this strain for about five more generations to stabilize it , and the first fully autoflowering strain was released, renamed Lowryder.
Although many in the cannabis community were unimpressed with the low yield and potency of Lowryder, they were still intrigued by the taste and aroma. It’s been said to have a sweet pine and pungent citrus flavor, with anchoring notes of earthiness. The dominant terpenes of the strain are Carene, Linalool, Myrcene and L-Limonene.
Due to the low yield and weak THC, The Joint Doctor was determined to improve the strain. He sought out a strong Sativa plant from Brazil called Santa Maria, and worked with that for a couple generations to get it stabilized. Once refined, this cross was named Lowryder #2, and had all the autoflowering capabilities of the Ruderalis plant with all the potency and bounty of the other strains it was bred with.
Since Lowryder and its immediate descendents, The Joint Doctor also released strains like Chronic Ryder and Easy Ryder with the same autoflowering quality. Other breeders were captivated with the idea of cannabis that flourished based on time period rather than light cycles. They went on to recreate iconic strains with the convenience and rapid growing autoflowering abilities, like AK-47, Blueberry and Bubba Kush- all using the genetic traits of Ruderalis!
The different anatomy of cannabis species
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Ruderalis Genetics
The Ruderalis subspecies is very unique compared to the other plants. Less dependence on fertilizer and scheduled lighting make it easier for beginner growers to handle. Many autoflowering strains might not be refined enough to produce high potency and good quality yields. However, if done correctly by a skilled breeder, you can get your hands on some splendid autoflower seeds that will produce great results in a short amount of time. The Ruderalis plant is forgiving, and has a hardiness despite its youthful growth period.
Many may say "Ruderalis is useless weed" , but that is a stigma that places all value of cannabis on THC percentages. At Starbird, we don’t believe all the glory of a plant is in impressive THC numbers. The saddest thing about the modern cannabis industry is the overemphasis on THC. Often, people seek out high potency thinking it will induce stronger effects, like relaxation and pain relief. However, specific effects like those are not dependent on the psychoactive component of cannabis. CBD, CBN, other cannabinoids and terpenes contribute to the effects much more than THC. So, Ruderalis is far from useless.
This subspecies was also popular in Russian and Mongolian folk and shamanic medicine. If centuries old empires and mystic leaders were using it for aiding visions and treating ailments, it definitely has healing potential. Strains rich in CBD are optimal for helping with deep stress, reducing inflammation, and inducing a blissful high that isn’t too overwhelming. The lack of CBD present in many modern strains is part of the reason many experience anxiety or “green out”, even if they’d been smoking weed for decades. So, keep an open mind and consider what you actually need from your cannabis. It’s always fun to get high, but there’s beauty in healing.
You may not find strains that are 100% Ruderalis, and that is completely normal.Furthermore, since many dispensaries and growers base their cannabis on the polarized effects of Indica and Sativa, Ruderalis genetics may not be mentioned at all. Modern breeding makes it hard to find any strain, whether it is Indica or Sativa, with complete genetic relation to the strains it descended from. This is what makes cannabis so special, it is constantly changing and adapting depending on what people seek. Even genetic traits that seem subpar might actually be able to help stabilize a strain, or compliment the other expressions. The synthesis of optimized genetic expressions makes different strains multifaceted and exciting!
If you think you are more drawn to chill, holistic and high CBD strains, securing some grass with Ruderalis genetics may be right for you. Alternatively, if you are a new grower with no clue what you’re doing, starting with an autoflower plant could be much easier for your cannabis journey. At Starbird, we love an underdog tale. The story of Ruderalis starts with a shrub on the side of the road, a tiny plant that changed the modern cannabis industry for the best.
Fly high!