Cannabis has gained popularity for several reasons, spanning medical, recreational, industrial, and cultural aspects. But humans are not the only ones that enjoy this plants: bees are also compatible!
Bees are typically drawn to brightly colored flowers with sweet nectar, so it might come as a surprise that researchers from Cornell University have discovered that cannabis plants, specifically Cannabis sativa, can attract up to 16 different species of bees. Despite lacking nectar, these bees are attracted to the large amounts of pollen that hemp produces.
The study found that the taller the hemp plant, the more bees it attracted. In fact, bees were 17 times more likely to be drawn to hemp plants that were two or more meters tall compared to shorter plants.
How Cannabis Could Save the Bees
Bees play a crucial role as pollinators, facilitating the exchange of pollen between flowers, which is vital for the reproduction of seeds and fruits that sustain life on Earth. However, the bee population has been declining drastically in recent years due to factors like global warming, pesticide overuse, and the excessive intensification of agriculture.
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The good news is that hemp could help sustain entire bee colonies. Even during periods when other flowers are scarce, hemp can produce enough pollen to nourish a diverse community of bees. This makes hemp a key source of food for bees and a significant contributor to crop pollination.
Another advantage of hemp is that it doesn’t require as many pesticides as other crops. This makes it safer for bees to extract pollen from cannabis plants, offering a potential solution to one of the factors contributing to the decline in bee populations.
Can Bees Get High?
No, bees cannot get high from cannabis. According to Best Bees, bees lack the neuroreceptors necessary to experience the psychoactive effects of cannabis. It is believed that insects lost the cannabinoid receptor during evolution. Interestingly, the cannabinoid receptor is the only known neuroreceptor that is present in mammals but absent in insects.
The findings from Cornell University suggest that hemp could play a vital role in supporting bee populations and, by extension, the health of our planet’s ecosystems.
The fact that this controversial plant could save the bees suggests one thing: we are not the only ones with a right to nature. Nature will find a way to reconnect with the environment, even for our little pollinating friends.
