Europe PMC · 2026-04-05
Researchers argue that the plant family containing cannabis and hops has nine other genera — including hackberries and trema — that traditional healers have used for centuries but scientists have largely ignored. This paper maps what's known and unknown, making the case that these overlooked plants could yield new medicines without the psychoactive downsides of cannabis.
Nine of the 11 genera in the Cannabaceae family remain severely understudied despite documented traditional medicinal use across multiple cultures.
Genera such as Trema, Celtis, and Aphananthe contain flavonoids, polyphenols, triterpenoids, and alkaloids — compound classes with established therapeutic activity — but lack systematic pharmacological investigation.
The dominance of Cannabis and Humulus research has created measurable 'opportunity costs,' delaying discovery of potentially safer, non-psychoactive therapeutics from related plants.
