Cannabis sinsemilla (Spanish pronunciation:[sinseˈmiʝa]) also known as sensimilla, sinse or sensi (can be translated into English as seedless cannabis) is the
femaleCannabis 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).
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
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
referenced in the movie
Caddyshack (1980), a hybrid variety of golf turf, composed of Kentucky Blue Grass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California sinsemilla.
^Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program. Cannabis Investigations Section, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Justice. 1992. pp.
1.