Taxonomy H E L P
 

Problem: 200, 8 month old dead root systems and 3-4" mainstems
(1/4-5/8"diameter[as i recall]) that the' powers that be' would like to certify
as "marijuana".

Are there any other other plants other than cannabis in the
CLASS. Dicotyledoneae. ORDER. Uriticales. FAMILY. Cannabaceae.
that could be difficult or impossible to discriminate from
GENUS. Cannabis. SPECIES. Sativa, Indica
Or, how about just CLASS. Dicotyledoneae. ORDER. Uriticales
These plant parts had been dead for 2-4 months prior to confiscation in
October 2002 and have been stored (i don't know the circumstances) since.
Needless, any help appreciated.
TIA,
J

Taxonomy H E L P
 

On 21 Jan 2003 21:33:32 GMT, pam (HIP n TX) wrote:

Are there any other other plants other than cannabis in the
CLASS. Dicotyledoneae. ORDER. Uriticales. FAMILY. Cannabaceae.
that could be difficult or impossible to discriminate

Not locally, although giant ragweed (Ambrosia) and some members of
Malvaceae are sometimes mistaken as a look alike. A kenaf (paper
pulp) farm I worked with in the valley even put up a sign saying it
may look like weed but it ain't - so do not smoke this. One of the
mallows locally available we put into the Xeriscape Demonstration
Garden at Zilker and it would turn up missing regularly. Very close
leaf shape to Cannabis.

Cannabis is grown around Austin with regularity. I do surveys for
possible development sites around town and I have run into a half a
dozen little "farms" out in the woods over the past 20 years with a
dozen or more plants. 200 plants is a good sized one, though.

Rusty Mase

Taxonomy H E L P
 

On 21 Jan 2003 21:33:32 GMT, pam (HIP n TX) wrote:

Problem: 200, 8 month old dead root systems and 3-4" mainstems
(1/4-5/8"diameter[as i recall]) that the' powers that be' would like to certify
as "marijuana".

Are there any other other plants other than cannabis in the
CLASS. Dicotyledoneae. ORDER. Uriticales. FAMILY. Cannabaceae.
that could be difficult or impossible to discriminate from
GENUS. Cannabis. SPECIES. Sativa, Indica
Or, how about just CLASS. Dicotyledoneae. ORDER. Uriticales

Maybe, just barely maybe, hops (_Humulus lupus_), the plant most
closely related to cannabis.

But a case involving 200 plants probably isn't being handled by Barney
Fife. Drug war labs can undoubtedly i.d. the chemistry even from
stumps and roots. Possibly, but less likely, from the anatomy as well.

These plant parts had been dead for 2-4 months prior to confiscation in
October 2002 and have been stored (i don't know the circumstances) since.
Needless, any help appreciated.

A Lexis/Nexis might turn up similar cases involving debris. SF/
Seattle plant groups might turn up something.

Taxonomy H E L P
 

On Wed, 22 Jan 2003 07:16:18 GMT, (Terry
Horton) wrote:

On 21 Jan 2003 21:33:32 GMT, pam (HIP n TX) wrote:
snip
Are there any other other plants other than cannabis in the
CLASS. Dicotyledoneae. ORDER. Uriticales. FAMILY. Cannabaceae.
that could be difficult or impossible to discriminate from
GENUS. Cannabis. SPECIES. Sativa, Indica
Or, how about just CLASS. Dicotyledoneae. ORDER. Uriticales

Maybe, just barely maybe, hops (_Humulus lupus_), the plant most
closely related to cannabis.

For an unrelated research project, I thoroughly searched the web and
UT libraries for information about any plants that might contain THC
or alkaloids. As far as I was able to determine, hops does not contain
any detectable level of THC. Of course, the worldwide brewing industry
has a deeply vested interest in maintaining the availability and
legality of hops.

Bottom line, according to my research, is that if it contains a
detectable amount of THC, it is illegal in the US. But I am not a
botanist or drug researcher, just a science writer.

Elliot Richmond
Freelance Science Writer and Editor