Why is thc in marijuana?

[Slay3r]

Im sure there has to be a real reason why it is there other than to get people high.

Ive heard it could be to protect from herbivores and pathogens, as well as possessing high UV absorbtion properties and to protect from radiation.

Just wondering if anybody really knows the answer. Wasn't really sure where to post this either.

 

[smokemagnet]

I think it does produce resin to like pretect the plant from the sun but I dont know why it produces THC maybe its gods way of saying high

 

[CookieMan]

I'd be inclined to think it is a form of protection because that is the typical reason that plants have kept the random chemicles they came up with. It had an evolutionary advantage. But once people started smoking weed, the thc content gave it a huge evolutionary advantabe as I'm sure it was cultivated for these purposes.

 

[StonerGrower]

its supposedly made to protect the plants from insects and other herbivores...after a pest eats an amount of the plant they will not like the affects (i know i sure do) and wont eat the plant again...

 

[Pinch]

Cause that's where God put it.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord!

 

[Freshnugs87]

yeah its the plant protection. The same reason that tobacco produces nicotine, coffee beans produce caffiene. It has a name, when a plant produces a chemical for protection, learned it last semester in bio II but I dont remember. Im not sure if this's the case for opium or our favorite basidiomycota that we are/aren't supposed to talk about?

 

[hossua34]

I had heard (of course I've done no real research on this) that it had something to do with the cannabis plant's method of capturing pollen from the male plant. Pollen in the air supposedly gets caught more easily because of the sticky trichomes, which is where the THC is held.

Of course, that would just explain why marijuana is sticky, not necessarily why there's psychoactive THC in the stickyness....

 

[StonerGrower]

^marijuana produces other resins to catch airborn pollen...

 

[CharlieBlayze]

it's not for plant protection, spider mites love it, deer think it tastes wonderful.

 

[Paladin]

It seems to act like a polarbear repellant ........WHAT !!??!! .......There aren't any polar bears anywhere near here .........exactly !

 

[CharlieBlayze]

I believe it's just fruit of a plant, thc is it's being. Why do plants grow big fruits/vegetables that are attached to them? Certainly not for protection.

 

[Jri5002]

Why do plants grow big fruits/vegetables that are attached to them? Certainly not for protection.

...to make more plants. basic bio 1 material

As for why THC is in marijuana; I haven't the slightest.