The Magic of Genetics

People are fascinated by genetics, whether they be human, animal or plant. Though there is a chance that a set of parents with brown eyes and green eyes will have a blue-eyed child, for example, the odds are slim, so when it happens, it feels extraordinary. People born with red hair—another rare and remarkable trait (I’m looking at you, Editorial Director Noelle Skodzinski) —have been found to have an increased pain tolerance. There’s just a certain magic to genetics and the way they are expressed in different families.

Genetics also provide clues of family origin. One needs to look no further than at the success of DNA testing kit companies, which millions have sent their information to for a fuller picture of their family heritage, despite privacy concerns, to know this is an area that captivates many.

Cannabis genetics are equally intriguing, especially to cultivators and breeders, and the May issue of Cannabis Business Times includes multiple articles, and exclusive research, that explore this important aspect of the industry.

Research findings from CBT’s second-annual “State of the Breeding & Genetics Market Report,” made possible with support from Occo Innovation, show cultivators continue to prioritize genetics with higher THC potency, as that is what many markets have historically and still demand. THC potency also was the most selected, top-three cultivation priority at 46%, among others such as disease/pest resistance and flowering time. And 61% of participants indicated they believe it will remain one of the top cultivar characteristics relevant in the next five years. Despite those findings, more participants selected a different choice when rating their single most important criterion when selecting genetics, and once-difficult-to-find minor cannabinoids seem to be gaining interest.

Looking at consumer studies from Brightfield Group that examine data from Q1 2022 to Q4 2022, interest in products with 30% or higher THC potency appears to be waning. Though more participants said they would buy products with THC potencies of 30% or more when compared to other concentrations, there is more nuance to the numbers.

Kenneth Morrow, regular CBT columnist and advisory board member for both the magazine and Cannabis Conference, often writes for this magazine about the increasing importance of discovering—and legally protecting—cultivars with genetics exhibiting unusual traits, especially those with diverse cannabinoid and terpene profiles. In his Tomorrow in Cannabis column (p. 50), Morrow shares a few examples of why cannabis genetics still are mysterious, why mutations should not be discounted, and why it’s valuable to keep experimenting and investigating.

In speaking of unusual genetics, Breeder’s Brief, CBT’s department where readers can find cultivation recommendations and breeder notes about cultivars, features Lemon Snow Leopard. Each month, the lineage of the cultivar is included, and one of the parents of Lemon Snow Leopard (the cultivar featured in this issue) happens to be Lemon Vuitton, one of the winning plants at the inaugural California State Fair Cannabis Awards.

There is still much to be discovered and understood about cannabis genetics, and an open mind could prove beneficial. As Morrow notes, “What may be seen as … an undesirable plant could be the catalyst for a breeding program that produces something unusual that everybody wants.”