**Ditchweed**

Ditchweed, a colloquial term in the cannabis lexicon, describes wild cannabis plants that grow spontaneously in non-cultivated areas like ditches and fields. The origin of the word #1excludeGlossary is rooted in its literal meaning, with “ditch” highlighting the typical environment where these plants are found and “weed” referring to their classification as a type of cannabis. Historically, ditchweed has been synonymous with low-quality cannabis, often containing negligible amounts of THC, the psychoactive component that induces the marijuana “high.” This association dates back to the #6excludeGlossary century when ditchweed was prevalent in the United States, particularly in regions where hemp was once cultivated for industrial purposes. As the cannabis industry has evolved, so too has the perception of ditchweed. While it still denotes wild cannabis, the term now also reflects the plant’s resilience and historical significance. In today’s cannabis-savvy world, ditchweed is recognized not just for its wild nature but also as a symbol of cannabis’s enduring legacy and its ability to flourish in the wild. [Source: Harvard, MedPub]

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Ditchweed (Wikipedia)

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Feral cannabis, or wild marijuana (often referred to in North America as ditch weed), is wild-growing cannabis generally descended from industrial hemp plants previously cultivated for fiber, with low or negligible amounts of psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

The Drug Enforcement Administration defines ditch weed as "wild, scattered marijuana plants [with] no evidence of planting, fertilizing, or tending". Industrial hemp was widely cultivated in the American Midwest in the mid-20th century, particularly to support the war effort during World War II, and since that period the plant has re-seeded naturally and grown wild in states such as Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota, with Indiana reporting the largest concentrations nationally.

As early as 1914, a United States Department of Agriculture publication stated: "Hemp is abundant as a wild plant in many localities in western Missouri, Iowa, and in southern Minnesota, and is often found as a roadside weed throughout the Middle West."