| Summary: | <i>Cannabis sativa</i> (<i>Cannabis</i>) is one of the world’s most well-known, yet maligned plant species. However, significant recent research is starting to unveil the potential of <i>Cannabis</i> to produce secondary compounds that may offer a suite of medical benefits, elevating this unique plant species from its illicit narcotic status into a genuine biopharmaceutical. This review summarises the lengthy history of <i>Cannabis</i> and details the molecular pathways that underpin the production of key secondary metabolites that may confer medical efficacy. We also provide an up-to-date summary of the molecular targets and potential of the relatively unknown minor compounds offered by the <i>Cannabis</i> plant. Furthermore, we detail the recent advances in plant science, as well as synthetic biology, and the pharmacology surrounding <i>Cannabis.</i> Given the relative infancy of <i>Cannabis</i> research, we go on to highlight the parallels to previous research conducted in another medically relevant and versatile plant, <i>Papaver somniferum</i> (opium poppy), as an indicator of the possible future direction of <i>Cannabis</i> plant biology. Overall, this review highlights the future directions of cannabis research outside of the medical biology aspects of its well-characterised constituents and explores additional avenues for the potential improvement of the medical potential of the <i>Cannabis</i> plant.
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