Learn how to make THC oil for cooking and edibles, including preparation steps, infusion tips, and safety considerations for home use.

Key Takeaways

• The cannabis plant is dioecious, meaning it grows as male or female.
• Cannabis plant anatomy is separated into the vegetative (leaves, stems, roots) and reproductive (flowers/buds) parts.
• The chemical factories in which cannabinoids such as THC and CBD are synthesized are called trichomes.
• The first step in identifying the types of weed plants (Indica, Sativa, Ruderalis) is to observe the shape of the leaves and the growth pattern.

The cannabis plant is one of the most versatile and biologically complicated organisms in the botanical world. Whether you’re a curious consumer or a budding cultivator, you must learn all the complexities of the cannabis plant to appreciate the science behind the high.

By 2033, the international cannabis market will be worth about $188.49 billion, and it suggests a colossal increase in both recreational and medical attention across the world as more states shift towards the legalization of cannabis.

Every part of the plant is used for a specific biological purpose, from the serrated, iconic leaves to the resin-covered flower. We’ll deconstruct the weed plant’s morphology in this guide to show you the role each part plays in producing the final product you consume.

What Does a Marijuana Plant Look Like?

A marijuana plant is a tall, green, leafy herb with leaves that look like fingers and jagged edges. Its flowers are sticky and covered in crystals.

To the untrained eye, many green shrubs might look similar, but marijuana plants have unique features that set them apart. In case you have ever asked yourself, “What does marijuana look like?“, it’s best described as a tall herb with leaves, and it is an annual herb.

The palmate leaf is the most familiar, that is, the lobes have sprouted out of one point like the fingers on a hand. The weed plant may grow between a foot (suitable in an indoor setting with low visibility) and more than 15 feet tall in a farming environment, depending on the environment and the genetics.

All plants start as a seed. A healthy cannabis seed is teardrop-shaped, hard, and usually brown with tiger stripes or mottling. When moisture and warmth are applied, the seed “pops,” producing a taproot that keeps the plant in place.

After being planted, the plant emerges, pushing the first two rounded leaves (cotyledons) through the soil. These are not the actual leaves, but they serve to provide the initial energy required to initiate the vegetative stage.

Later, the plant grows to maturity with its signature serrated leaves; then the one-leaflet leaf becomes the three-, five-, or seven-leaflet leaf we know.

Breaking Down Cannabis Plant Anatomy

The cannabis plant anatomy consists of five central systems: roots, stems/nodes, fan leaves, sugar leaves, and flower (buds). All of these systems are interconnected to produce cannabinoids.

To understand the common question, “What does a marijuana plant look like?” one must examine its parts in detail. The various sections, from the soil line to the top of the cola, serve the plant’s well-being and its ultimate chemical production.

1. The Root System

Roots hold the plant in place and absorb water and nutrients from the growing medium, in addition to exchanging gases. The plant depends on its roots, which are its lifeline. They extract water and oxygen either from the soil or from the hydroponic medium.

Cannabis is usually long-rooted tap, and it is further divided into numerous secondary fibrous roots. The root system should be white and fuzzy; if not, the plant is likely suffering from root rot.

Roots allow a symbiotic interaction with soil fungi (mycorrhizae) in addition to mere hydration. This association enhances phosphorus and other mineral uptake. Knowledge of root health in the contemporary cultivation industry is the distinction between a mediocre crop and a mythical one.

The roots also store starches formed during the plant’s photosynthetic process, which it can draw upon when it experiences stress.

2. Stems and Nodes

The stems are essential for structure and also serve as a vascular highway to supply nutrients, and the node is where growth and flowers emerge.

The primary stem provides the plant with structural integrity and the flow of nutrients, carrying roots to the leaves through the xylem and phloem.

• Weed Nodes: These are the most critical points where branches intersect with the main stem. The magic takes place at the nodes as the flowering stage is reached. At this stage, a grower starts to identify the plant’s sex.
• Internodes: The gap between two nodes. Cannabis sativa plants are more likely to have greater intermodal spacing, while indica plants are smaller.
• Vascular System: Within the stem, the plant has an intricate system to transport water up the stem and sugars down the stem. When a stem is bent or super-cropped, the plant usually reacts by thickening this part. Therefore, a knuckle that can carry even higher quantities of nutrients towards the buds that are developing forms. 

3. Cannabis Plant Leaves

Cannabis plant leaves act as solar panels, with the large leaves producing energy, and the small sugar leaves covering the resinous buds and offering a high concentration of THC.

When people think of marijuana, they immediately visualize the foliage. Nonetheless, marijuana leaves (fan and sugar leaves) have two different varieties of effects and functions:

Fan Leaves

These are the giant, iconic leaves that trap sunlight in photosynthesis. Although you can find small amounts of cannabinoids in them, they are not usually smoked. They are the plant’s major energy producers.

The stored nutrients available in these leaves can be drawn by the plant during the “flush” period before harvest, turning them yellow, orange, or even deep purple. More recent 2025 research has identified more than 545 compounds in these leaves and flowers, comprising 100-plus cannabinoids.

Sugar Leaves

These are the small resin-covered leaves that grow from the buds. They are known as sugar leaves because they appear to be covered with white crystals (trichomes). They are frequently stored throughout the trimming process to create extracts, concentrates, or pre-rolls as they hold a high level of THC.

Although they are harsher to smoke than the flower itself, their high resin content makes them highly useful for processing.

4. Flowers (The Buds)

The reproductive organs of the female plant are the flowers, and they are the central location where cannabinoids and terpenes are gathered.

The most desirable part of the cannabis plant is the flowers or the buds. We practically utilize only the unpollinated flowers of the female plant (sensimilla) in the consumer market.

• Bracts and Calyxes: These are the green leaf-like parts that cover the reproductive parts. The first section of the flower to develop is the calyx, which is densely covered with resin. (Though often called the calyx in the industry, these resin-heavy structures are botanically known as bracts).
• Pistils and Stigmas: These appear to be hairs protruding from the buds. They begin white and change to orange, red, or brown as the plant grows. It is their biological role to pick up pollen of male plants.
• Colas: A cluster of buds that grow closely attached is called a cola. The topmost cola is the main cola, generally the largest and most powerful. The smaller colas develop on the lower branches and may be called popcorn buds if they do not receive enough light. 

5. Trichomes: The Powerhouse

Trichomes are microscopic resin glands that produce cannabinoids and aromatic terpenes in plants, serving as a defense mechanism and a chemical lab.

When you examine a good bud under a magnifying glass, you will find that it contains small mushroom-like glands. These are trichomes. These glands produce the terpenes that give the plant its smell, as well as the cannabinoids (THC, CBD) that have the effects.

Trichomes are of three types:

• Bulbous: It is the smallest and is hardly visible on the plant’s surface.
• Capitate-Sessile: This consists of a few cannabinoids and terpenes, which are slightly larger and are generally flat against the leaf surface.
• Capitate-Stalked: The most significant and common glands resemble a ball on a stick. Such are the factors that growers consider when deciding the ideal harvest season. As soon as these turn milky white, the plant is at its optimal strength. 

How to Identify Hemp Plant vs. Marijuana

Hemp is characterized by tall, lanky, and even slender leaves, whereas marijuana usually is bushy, with masses of flowers and more resin.

Many people struggle with how to identify hemp plant specimens compared to high-THC marijuana. Their appearance is quite close since they belong to the same species ( Cannabis sativa L.). Nevertheless, they have minor differences:

Types of Weed Plants: Indica vs. Sativa vs. Ruderalis

Indica species are short and broad-leafed for relaxation; Sativa species are tall and thin-leafed for energy; Ruderalis is a small species that is utilized for auto-flowering genetics.

Thousands of hybrids have been developed through modern breeding in 2025, but they are all based on these three categories:

Reproductive Cycle

Depending on how much light the cannabis plant is exposed to, it transitions from its vegetative stage (growth) to its flowering stage (bud production).

Male vs. Female: The Great Divide

Female plants produce the cannabinoid-rich buds we consume, while male plants make pollen sacks and are typically removed to prevent seed production.

Cannabis is dioecious. Only females produce the powerful flowers.

• Male Plants: These grow pollen sacks that look like tiny bells. When they pollinate a female, she will bear seeds, which reduce the THC content in the buds.
• Hermaphrodites: When a female grows pollen sacks, it is due to stress (leakage of heat or light). They are usually pulled off immediately to avoid crop sowing. 

Importance of Terpenes and Flavonoids

The plant's special aroma, flavor, and color result from terpenes and flavonoids, which synergize to create the entourage effect.

• Myrcene: Soil-like smell; assists the passage of the THC through the blood-brain barrier.
• Limonene: The odor of citrus is linked to the elevation of mood.
• Pinene: Pine smell; can help to be alert.
• Flavonoids: Provide color (purples/reds). Flavonoids like Cannaflavin A are unique to cannabis and can provide anti-inflammatory effects 30 times more potent than aspirin. 

Cultivation Techniques

Some of the methods used, such as topping, low-stress training (LST), and defoliation, manipulate the plant’s anatomy to increase yields.

Consumption and the Plant Parts

Every part of the cannabis plant has a use, from the medicinal buds and resinous sugar leaves to the industrial fiber of the stalks.