Despite its popularity, cannabis is one of the most unexplored plants on the planet. It was not until 2011 when a group of Canadian biologists published the first cannabis genome by sequencing the DNA and RNA strains of Purple Kush. Since then, researchers and cultivators have been studying the plant closely, realizing that simple genetic changes can create a myriad of diversity.
This diversity can present itself in the appearance of the plant, the smell of the plant, but most importantly, this diversity is needed to enhance and specify the medicinal qualities of cannabis. By augmenting the genome, cultivators can grow cannabis with specific qualities needed to treat specific patients.
A new piece of research technology could potentially bring cannabis breeding to the next level. The CRISPR-cas9 is a biotechnological tool that can literally cut and edit plant DNA sequences. It focuses on specific sections of DNA code that are repeating and uses an enzyme that acts like a pair of scissors to snip away unwanted code. Breeders can then integrate the genetic qualities they want and grow diverse and healthy crops of cannabis or industrial hemp.
When it comes to cannabis, creating new strains with these methods is not an easy task. For a long time, there were only two recognizable strains of marijuana: indica and sativa. Today, in an industry growing as quickly as this one, breeders and biologists need to meet the more complex demands of the cannabis consumer.
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