What do you do if you see this growing in your garden or on a public footpath

Discussion in 'Edible Gardening' started by hi2u_uk, Aug 17, 2025.

  1. hi2u_uk

    hi2u_uk Gardener

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    I was reading some comments on this issue on another website and was wondering what this forum thought. Apparently you can get this plant from seeds in bird food

    hemp.jpg
     
  2. NigelJ

    NigelJ Total Gardener

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    Cannabis sativa well you could leave it and the frost will finish it off.
    You could pull it up and compost it or drop it in garden waste bin.
    Report it to police or council
    Pull it up, dry it and smoke it.
    It's entirely up to your personal taste.
    Although from bird seed; it's probably fairly low in actives.
    Low active Cannabis sativa is grown in this country and harvested for use in quality paper, as a fibre for clothes and as bedding for horses. The seed is harvested and used in bird feed, or crushed to extract and the waste goes to animal feed
    Basically don't sweat it, you wouldn't bat an eyelid if it was a nigella or sunflower from bird seed.
     
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    • Pete8

      Pete8 Total Gardener

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      There are fields of the stuff grown near me in Danbury - apparently it has very little of the special ingredient. But I'd guess it's been sampled many times.
       
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      • pete

        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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        Low on THC, if it's the stuff used for fibre or from bird seed.
        I think it's quite a nice weed personally.
         
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        • NigelJ

          NigelJ Total Gardener

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          Essex was the first county to reintroduce hemp as a crop and the Home Office keep a close eye on it with testing and licences.
           
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          • Obelix-Vendée

            Obelix-Vendée Total Gardener

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            Hemp is widely used for its fibres which are very strong so good for making rope, textiles, clothing, shoes, food, paper, bioplastics, insulation, and biofuel. Loads of uses, biodegradeable and eco friendly too. What's not to like?

            The 10 Best Uses of Hemp - A Versatile All-Rounder?
             
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            • pete

              pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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              Does it smell like the strong stuff, if it does don't go near any sniffer dogs after doing the weeding.:biggrin:
               
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              • hi2u_uk

                hi2u_uk Gardener

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                Out of all the replies I think only you has half answered the question though im still not sure what you would do and why
                 
              • Obelix-Vendée

                Obelix-Vendée Total Gardener

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                @hi2u_uk Why would you do anything with someone else's plants or crops?

                This form or hemp is a commercial product. If you see it in someone's garden it's likely to be from bird seed mixes. It's not a pernicious weed or poisonous plant.
                 
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                • pete

                  pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                  I'd take no notice really, might have a look if it was in a public space, and leave it.

                  If it was in someone's garden I'd not be bothered, obviously if the whole garden was full of it I'b be a bit suspicious.

                  Probably knock on the front door and ask them to let me know when its budding up.:roflol:
                   
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                  • NigelJ

                    NigelJ Total Gardener

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                    I gave my thoughts on the matter, you didn't ask what would members do and I did say don't sweat it.
                     
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                    • Adam I

                      Adam I Super Gardener

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                      potent devils lettuce is grown in a pretty big scale for a booming medical market in the uk. nhs expects hundreds of thousands of prescriptions by the 2030s if i recall.

                      i tried it once and it just made me a bit sleepy and giggly. much less potent than alcohol for me. i think cigarettes are much more dangerous but tobacco is legal to grow your own. they sell it at many garden centres even as an ornamental. though some species are really poisonous.

                      i would let the plant grow because it is interesting to look at. only the female is smoked so its 50% change not even smokable even if it was a potent cultivar
                       
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                      • NigelJ

                        NigelJ Total Gardener

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                        Medicinal cannabis is interesting and it seems to be proving quite difficult to get the trials to show efficacy for a condition done. The NHS is reluctant to prescribe without the trials being done, a lot of prescriptions are currently private ones.
                        One interesting thing is that the reaction of people is variable and different people react differently to different brands, of CBD oil, available on the High Street, so it can be trial and error to find the strength and brand that works for you.
                        Medicinal Cannabis sativa has been selected/bred to be low in THC and is checked.
                        The plants are cloned and grown hydroponically under lights in sterile conditions.
                        Some people only find relief by smoking or eating the traditional weed, this indicates that the compounds in the plant are not fully defined nor their effects fully understood.
                         
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                        • Pete8

                          Pete8 Total Gardener

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                          When I was much younger, me and my mates performed extensive research on the effects of cannabis - trouble was by the following day we'd forgotten all about it :biggrin:
                           
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                          • Philippa

                            Philippa Gardener

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                            @hi2u_uk As you don't specify whether this plant is in your garden or alongside a public footpath, any responses will inevitably differ.
                            If it is growing in your garden and you like the look of it, leave it - if not, pull it up and dispose of it.
                            If it is growing in a public space and you believe for some reason that it is a danger to others then you report it to whichever local authority you feel appropriate.
                            As the plant has obviously concerned you sufficiently to create a post, it matters little what others would do in this situation...........what sets your mind at rest is what counts:)
                             
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