Cannabis sinsemilla (Spanish pronunciation: [sinseˈmiʝa]) also known as sensimilla, sinse or sensi (can be translated into English as seedless cannabis) is the female Cannabis plant that has not been pollinated and therefore does not develop seeds, increasing the concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes. This cultivation technique was developed in Sinaloa, Mexico, in the 1970s, by the drug trafficker Rafael Caro Quintero[1][2] and consists of separating male plants as soon as they are known to be male, in order to avoid pollination of female pistils.[3] The seeds are not useful for recreational purposes, and require the plant to make a great expenditure of energy that could be invested in increasing the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) of the inflorescences (buds).

Seedless cannabis (sin semilla)
Seeded cannabis (con semilla)

The technique became popular in the United States as sinsemilla, sinsemilia, sinse, or sense.[4] In 1980, an American study indicated that the average THC of street marijuana was 1.8%, while sinsemilla reached 6%.[5] Sinsemilla cannabis is a cultivation technique, so it should not be confused with skunk, which refers to strains with a high percentage of THC. The expression sinsemilla is practically obsolete since feminized seeds emerged in the 1990s, seeds genetically modified to only sprout females.

Health risks edit

Regular use of high potency cannabis (HPC) has been linked in several studies to an increased likelihood of psychotic disorders.[6][7][8] A 2015 study looked at multiple users of skunk, sinse or other HPC cannabis strains in South London showed a corresponding relationship with adults presenting with episodes of psychosis similar to schizophrenia.[8] Similar studies have been carried out in Germany, New Zealand and the Netherlands.[8]

In popular culture edit

References edit

  1. ^ García, Jacobo (2022-07-17). "Caro Quintero, el viejo capo que revolucionó el mundo de la marihuana". El País México (in Spanish). Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  2. ^ Jones, Nathan P. (2016-04-15). Mexico's Illicit Drug Networks and the State Reaction. Georgetown University Press. pp. 73. ISBN 978-1-62616-296-9.
  3. ^ Cervantes, Jorge (2006). Marijuana horticulture: the indoor/outdoor medical grower's bible (Rev. ed.). Van Patten Pub. pp. 81. ISBN 978-1-878823-23-6. OCLC 64708236.
  4. ^ Halperin, Shirley; Bloom, Steve (2007). Pot culture: the A-Z guide to stoner language and life. Steve Bloom. New York: Abrams. pp. 451. ISBN 978-1-61312-874-9. OCLC 911055958.
  5. ^ Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program. Cannabis Investigations Section, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Justice. 1992. pp. 1.
  6. ^ Di Forti, Marta; Morgan, Craig; Dazzan, Paola; Pariante, Carmine; Mondelli, Valeria; Marques, Tiago Reis; Handley, Rowena; Luzi, Sonija; Russo, Manuela; Paparelli, Alessandra; Butt, Alexander (2009). "High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis". British Journal of Psychiatry. 195 (6): 488–491. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.109.064220. ISSN 0007-1250. PMC 2801827. PMID 19949195.
  7. ^ Potter, Gary R.; Chatwin, Caroline (2012-11-30). "The problem with "skunk"". Drugs and Alcohol Today. 12 (4): 232–240. doi:10.1108/17459261211286645. ISSN 1745-9265.
  8. ^ a b c Di Forti, M.; et al. (2015). "Proportion of patients in south London with first-episode psychosis attributable to use of high potency cannabis: a case-control study". The Lancet Psychiatry. 2 (3): 233–238. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(14)00117-5. PMID 26359901.
  9. ^ Cizmar, Martin (2017-04-11). "The Rise and Fall of Sinsemilla Tips, Corvallis' Legendary Marijuana Magazine". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  10. ^ Abe 阿部, Kazushige 和重 (2006). Shinsemia. Asahi Shinbunsha. ISBN 4-02-264377-3. OCLC 1032040473.