Drought stress in Cannabis sativa L.: current knowledge, research gaps, and future perspectives – a review

Abstract

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) has gained increasing agronomic, industrial, and therapeutic importance owing to its fiber, seed, and bioactive cannabinoid content. However, water limitation represents a major environmental constraint affecting cannabis growth, yield, and phytochemical composition. The increasing frequency and severity of drought events associated with climate change pose a growing challenge to agricultural sustainability, highlighting the need for improved crop performance under water-limited conditions. In this context, understanding plant responses to water deficit is essential for enhancing drought tolerance and maintaining productivity. Although recent studies have expanded our understanding of cannabis responses to drought, important knowledge gaps still exist regarding the mechanisms underlying drought adaptation. Current evidence indicates that cannabis responds to water limitation through coordinated changes in growth, physiology, secondary metabolism, molecular regulation, and rhizosphere interactions. Nevertheless, several key aspects, particularly root-mediated adaptation, RNA-mediated regulation, and epigenetic control, are still insufficiently understood. This review integrates current knowledge of cannabis drought responses from morphophysiological, molecular, and plant–microbe interaction perspectives, highlights major research gaps, and proposes future directions for improving drought resilience in cannabis cultivation.