Scientists report that they’ve identified 33 “significant markers” in the cannabis genome that “significantly influence cannabinoid production”—a finding they say promises to drive the development of new plant varieties with specific cannabinoid profiles.
“This approach promises to speed up the breeding process, reduce costs significantly compared to traditional methods, and ensure that the resulting Cannabis varieties are optimized for specific medical and recreational needs,” authors wrote, calling the study “a significant stride toward fully integrating Cannabis into modern agricultural practices and genetic research, paving the way for future innovations.”
The analysis involved use of “a high-density genotyping approach” looking at thousands of molecular markers across the genome of 174 cannabis specimens in Canada, each with known levels of cannabinoids such as THCA, CBDA and CBN. “Using suitable statistical methods,” the team said, “we identified 33 molecular markers associated with 11 cannabinoid traits, most of them having a high impact on the phenotype.”
Among the findings were what the paper calls a “massive” set of genes on one plant chromosome that involved about 60 megabases (Mb) and was associated specifically with THC-dominant cannabis strains.
Authors from Université Laval in Québec, Canada said the research represents a shift away from years of cannabis prohibition that “have impeded the establishment of genetic resource collections and the development of advanced breeding practices, thus limiting both the genetic improvement and the understanding of Cannabis traits.” The markers uncovered in the new study “will constitute an essential tool in breeding programs,” the report says, and “promise to accelerate the selection process for promising accessions, potential crossing parents, while significantly reducing costs associated with labor-intensive phenotype-based selection methods.”
