An annual herbaceous mostly dioecious plant of the hemp family. The stem is erect, simple, rarely branched, rounded at the base, ribbed at the top, up to 2 m tall or more. The leaves are rough, opposite (alternate at the top), long-petiolate, pinnately divided, with 5-9 long-lanceolate, finely serrated lobes. Flowers unisexual; stamens – with a simple perianth of 5 white or yellowish lobes in tassels, collected in a panicled inflorescence; pistillate – small, sessile, with perianth in the form of a border, in axillary spike-shaped inflorescences. The fruit is a nut. Blooms in June – August.
Spread. On the territory of Ukraine, seed hemp is cultivated as a textile and oil plant; they often go wild.
Raw. For medicinal purposes, the fruits (Semen Cannabinis sativae), which are more often called hemp seeds, and the tops of the stems (with flowers and leaves) from the female specimens of the plant (from the mother) are used. Hemp was included in the 8th edition of the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR.
Chemical composition . Hemp seed contains fatty oil (30-35%), proteins (15%), phytin (4-5%), cannabinoid glycoside (traces), vitamin K and choline. Hemp herb contains cannabinoid glycoside, alkaloids, resinous substances, essential oil, carotene and other compounds.
Pharmacological properties and use. Infusion of hemp grass is used in traditional medicine as a sedative, pain reliever and hypnotic. Preparations from hemp fruits (in the form of infusion or so-called hemp milk) are used as a cleansing, diuretic, emollient, enveloping and general strengthening agent. They are prescribed for inflammation of the digestive tract and genitourinary tract (gonorrhea, oliguria, catarrh of the urinary bladder, albuminuria, inflammation of the prostate gland), for hemorrhoids, dropsy, jaundice, pulmonary tuberculosis, nervous exhaustion and hypogalactia. Roasted hemp seed with salt is recommended by traditional medicine as a means of enhancing sexual activity. In the form of poultices or lotions (as a softening and pain-relieving agent), hemp seed is used for mastitis, chronic rheumatism, boils, abscesses, burns, abrasions, etc. The essence of freshly harvested hemp grass (tops of stems with flowers and leaves) is used in homeopathy.
Лікарські форми і застосування.
Внутрішньо — настій (1 столова ложка подрібнених плодів на 500 мл окропу, настоюють 1 годину) по півсклянки 4 рази на день до їди, підсолоджуючи медом;
настій з верхівок стебел матірки (1 чайна ложка сировини на 200 мл окропу, настоюють 2—4 години) по дві склянки на день ковтками, підсолоджуючи медом;
конопляне молоко (50 г плодів промивають гарячою водою, висипають у череп’яну посудину, додають 1 столову ложку цукру і розтирають, поступово підливаючи півтори склянки окропу;
одержану емульсію проціджують і віджимають через марлю) п’ють по кілька склянок на день, поліпшуючи смакові якості додаванням фруктового соку, цукру, какао або чорної кави;
2 glasses of a mixture (equally) of hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds are ground in a skull vessel, gradually pouring boiling water from a glass, strain and squeeze through cheesecloth, and drink the resulting emulsion during the day, sweetened with sugar or honey, in case of kidney stone disease, which is accompanied by hematuria and retention of urine due to spasmodic phenomena (the course of treatment is long).
Externally – poultices or lotions from crushed seeds; hot hemp milk (2 parts of seeds to 1 part of boiling water) is mixed with a mushy mass of scraped fresh green pulp (cambium) of black elderberry or common thorn and applied to the inflamed areas in case of gout (dried bandages are replaced with fresh ones until it disappears inflammation).