I like where the OP was originally headed--concerning the more artistic approach to photographing cannabis.
I think it becomes a bit tricky to take a shot that entices the artistic mind. It seems that any photo with decent lighting can arouse a sense of excitement just because we all love this naturally beautiful plant. The glistening trichs and the bulk of flowers is hard to deny attraction. But I seldom see pictures of cannabis that I would say had an artistic leaning.
It seems we are left with manipulating the environment, either pre or post. We can change backgrounds, change lighting filters, zoom in on a visually pleasing arrangement of leaves, buds, and stems, etc. These are the images I'd like to see more of. I always thought Subcool/TGA had an artistic eye for his plant photographs. He likes to use different colored backgrounds, and also seems to have a knack for choosing the perfect vantage point and lighting. Just search his strains to see what I mean. I recently acquired a Canon T3i body, but have not had the funds to get a decent macro lens or ring light.
What other manipulations can one perform to take the photograph into the artistic realm?