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.
The results of the new study, which was published in The Plant Genome last month, “offer valuable advice for Cannabis Breeding programs, which enable the use of genetic markers precise to choose and refine promising Cannabis varieties.”
This approach will speed up breeding, lower costs compared with traditional methods and guarantee that the results are of high quality. Cannabis The study, which was deemed “a major step toward fully integrating the medical and recreational aspects of cannabis,” by its authors, focuses on how to optimize varieties for different needs. Cannabis “Investing in modern agriculture and genetics research will pave the way for innovations to come.”
This analysis used “a high density genotyping approach”, which involved thousands of markers on the genomes of 174 specimens of cannabis in Canada with well-known levels of cannabinoids, such as THCA CBDA CBN.
“Using appropriate statistical methods,” said the team, “we were able to identify 33 molecular marker associated with 11 cannabinoid trait, many of which had a large impact on phenotype.”
The paper describes a set of “massive genes” on one chromosome, which involved 60 Megabases (Mb). These genes were associated with cannabis strains that are THC dominant.
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.”
These molecular marks will be extremely valuable for breeding programs that aim to develop new Cannabis varieties with specific and enhanced cannabinoid profile tailored specifically for recreational and medical uses.
According to the report, the markers discovered in this new study will “become an essential tool for breeding programs” and promise “to accelerate the selection of promising accessions or potential crossing parents while significantly reducing the costs associated with labor intensive phenotype based selection methods.”
The new findings come on the heels of a recent announcement by researchers in South Korea that they successfully identified a new cannabinoid—cannabielsoxa—as well as a number of other compounds “reported for the first time from the flowers of C. sativa.”
Researchers used chromatographic methods to isolate compounds. The paper was published in Pharmaceuticals. Researchers also examined the molecular compositions and tested their toxicity on certain cancerous cells by using metabolic tests.
This study was able to isolate a brand new cannabinoid compound, as well as six other cannabinoid substances, a chlorin type compound, and three more chlorine types compounds. These compounds were isolated for the very first time, from the flowers. C. sativa.”
Researchers did not identify cannabielsoxa as a compound that could be toxic to neuroblastoma cancer cells.
Other research, published by the American Chemical Society in 2023, identified “previously undiscovered cannabis compounds” that challenged conventional wisdom of what really gives cannabis varieties their unique olfactory profiles.
The research on marijuana is exploding in the last few years due to the fact that more and more states have made it legal for both medical and adult purposes. However, the Trump administration has not yet revealed how its priorities will influence this trend.
For example, under the new administration, “marijuana” is also now one of nearly two dozen “controversial or high-profile topics” that staff and researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are required to clear with higher-ups before writing about.
In a recently leaked memo, marijuana and opioids were listed along with COVID-19 vaccines, fluoride and measles as well as abortion, autism and diversity and gender ideologies. These are all believed to be the personal priorities of Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Trump.
NCI belongs to the National Institutes of Health. NIH is itself a department of Health and Human Services.
In the memo, NCI employees are instructed to submit any materials they intend to publish that address the topics specified to a clearance team.
Staff were advised: “Depending on information’s nature, an additional review by NCI directors, deputy director, NIH or HHS, may be necessary.” In some cases the materials will only need to be reviewed once, however the NCI Clearance Team may share them with NCI leadership and/or NIH and/or HHS.
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