The term “entourage effect” describes the combined effects of cannabinoids and terpenoids on the consumer’s psychological perception of different cannabis varieties. Each variety, or strain, contains varying concentrations of cannabinoids, including psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD), and has a unique terpenoid profile. As such, consumers are able to choose cannabis based on a desired effect, such as relaxation, and a specific aroma. Despite widespread information on the characteristics of different strains, the underlying genetic information accounting for these differences remains poorly understood.
Genetic testing will prove beneficial for cannabis breeders, producers, and consumers. In their recent work, Bernd Markus Lange, PhD, professor at the Institute of Biological Chemistry, and director of the M.J. Murdock Metabolomics Laboratory at Washington State University, and Anthony Smith, president and CSO, EVIO Labs, Inc., along with their colleagues, analyzed metabolic and transcriptomic data sets to differentiate cannabis strains. Their findings are relevant for the development of new cultivars, and can help to ensure consumers select appropriately labeled products. Further, for breeders and producers, the ability to determine the sex and cannabinoid type of young plants is crucial. Jacob Toth, a doctoral student in Dr. Larry Smart’s lab in the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University, and his colleagues, developed high-throughput assays for this specific purpose.
Read more at labmanager.com