Breaking Bud – Are we playing cannabis too much?

Are we messing around with cannabis too much?

I recently came across a post on Reddit where a user asked if we were “playing around” with cannabis too much. At first I thought the user was talking about mixing the different genetics together, creating hybrids and reducing the instances of pure landraces – but that wasn’t the case.

Rather than trying to explain, here is the user’s comment.

Okay, so as humans we kind of have a problem with fucking with nature….

In so many ways…

When it comes to natural plants that produce pleasurable effects, we always go too far with manipulation.

For example, with coca you have a plant that local farmers know has stimulant properties and they chew it to help them till the land and get their chores done.

Then we do some studies and figure out the exact compounds that produce these stimulant effects, and we do crazy ass chemistry and isolate cocaine as a salt.

Time goes by and we realize… Well wait, we can make this even stronger.

So we study the mechanisms of action and then we realize well if we make it smokeable it will increase the intensity even more and baam no we have crack. And then an epidemic breaks out.

Ditto for poppies, morphine, faster blood-brain barrier, heroin, then for synesthetic opiates and again for another epidemic.

That’s just the path we take over and over and over again lol

With cannabis, we have now started with a plant that normally contains around 2-4% THC.

We have achieved this through selective breeding up to around 20-30%.

We then started with extraction techniques and progressed to using butane hash oil and other techniques that produce extremely isolated and intense amounts of these particular compounds.

Well, I think that’s on par with some of these more intense realities, but it shows that maybe we’re just fucking with a great thing and we end up with a not-so-great thing.

What do you all think about this?
Via: Reddit

While I think the conclusion the Redditor came to was wrong, I think the question is valid: Are we messing around with cannabis too much?

It’s not about potency…

Selective breeding is something humans have been doing for thousands of years. That is not the problem. Humans have always wanted to maximize the desirable traits of their plants/animals, and in a way this is our birthright as humans – the pinnacle of nature.

We enjoy the understanding of taking naturally occurring things and putting them together to create new and interesting variations. However, as another Redditor pointed out in the same thread, it is;

I don’t think we’re “playing around” with it, there are still ways to get weed that compares to the weed of the 70’s as long as people do it preservation conscious. As long as we are Diversify choices, not limit them I think every person is able to choose what kind of weed suits him best.

I think this is a far more remarkable discussion than trying to compare cannabis cultivation to what happened with the heroin or crack epidemic. The main problem with hybrids is that they take up the entire market and if we don’t make an active effort to preserve certain strains, we could actually “know” our choices.

So, in hopes of enlightening people on this matter, we’re going to take a deeper look at cannabis breeding terminology and how we should go about conserving genetics so we don’t breed out traits that might eventually come in handy in the future.

A cannabis vocabulary breakdown:

Before we get into the technical aspects of this article, let’s start by clarifying a few terms:

1. Gene: This refers to a section of DNA responsible for generating a specific trait or trait in a cannabis plant.

2. phenotype: This refers to the outward appearance of a plant, which can include things like color, size, shape, etc.

3. Genotype: This refers to a specific gene that produces the specific phenotype.

4. Variety: This is what a plant is called that has been bred for certain characteristics and properties

5. Cannabinoids: These are the chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant. Most people are aware of the existence of THC and CBD, but there are hundreds of smaller cannabinoids as well.

6. terpenes: These are the chemical compounds that give cannabis its flavor and aroma, and also affect how the cannabis feels when ingested.

How to sound like a cannabis snob – and be right about it!

Before we continue, let’s talk about the word “strain”. Most people talk about different strains of cannabis using the word “strain”, but strains are mostly used in virology. During the C19 pandemic, we have seen multiple “strains” of the virus evolve due to its evolutionary programming. But when we talk about cannabis strains – they didn’t “evolve naturally”. They have been selectively bred for their special characteristics.

This means that the word “cultivar” is a more accurate description. In fact, the word “strain” is somewhat outdated in the breeder’s world. Just like the words “Indica and Sativa”. Instead, they use the word “strain” to describe their selectively bred cannabis plants.

So the next time you go to a pharmacy, you can snobbishly point out that their use of the word “variety” is actually a bit outdated, and you can ask them about the latest “variety” they have.

In the end it doesn’t really matter, but I think if you want to be specific – variety is the way to go.

Heirloom strains obtained

Now let’s dive into the world of preservation. Over the past twenty years, the rush for the highest THC levels has created an inbreeding market. Breeders discovered that people were willing to pay more for higher THC levels, and as a result, the race began.

Now we have strains that are above 30% and while this isn’t a ‘bad thing’, it does eliminate certain traits that could become more valuable over time. We may think that high THC levels will do the trick and breed out some of the minor traits, but you never know when you might need those traits later in life.

“We do not know what the future holds, and as new research and technology is developed, tremendous medical and scientific benefits could be lost if we do not preserve the original genetic source,” said Jason Martin, President of Tree of Life Seeds. a hemp grower in Boulder County, Colorado.

Dan Heims, a grower and potpot consultant in Aurora, Oregon, reiterated this point.

“Inbreeding in the industry is severe right now,” he said. “One of the most important aspects of landrace strains is that you’re going back to the original genetics.”

But maintaining landrace strains is not easy and requires skill and patience. It’s also a tricky business proposition, balancing the preservation of these varieties with the demands of consumers who want more modern hybrid varieties.
SOURCE: MJBizMagazine

Conservation of Landrace Strains

There are some landrace strains, cannabis plants that have won the evolutionary race – that have become the basis for most modern strains. For example, Afghan Kush falls into this category, as does Durban Poison.

These are OG genetics that have not been tainted by other “strains”. In Mexico, Acapulco Gold can no longer be grown in its original form as the genetics were lost to us at some point in the past. It may even have wiped out the government with its cruel war on drugs.

Luckily, there are breeders in Mexico who are currently looking for, maintaining and stabilizing landrace strains. This is a key when it comes to breeding. Not only do you want the strain, you want to be able to make it stable to consistently bring out the same traits.

Now that Mexico is on the verge of legalizing it for commercial use, there have been several breeders down there who have been “strain hunting,” going to the mountains, collecting seeds from the narco plantations, and making sure to preserve the legacy.

Perhaps someone could rediscover the lost genetics of Acapulco Gold and once again they can become a stable ingredient in the creation of new strains.

In fact, you can think of these landraces as “primaries” for creating new and interesting hybrids. Therefore, even if a landrace is not the strongest, prioritizing its preservation can become incredibly important when creating new strains.

“I cherish each of our landraces and heirloom strains as part of our toolbox,” Epstein said. “Just like a famous tomato variety, the ‘Celebrity’ tomato seeds you buy now are not the same as the seeds you bought 10 years ago. Although they are still referred to as ‘celebrity’ tomatoes, they are constantly being worked on and tweaked.”

Epstein sees the importance of landrace strains, but the market dictates his growing choices.

“For the consumer, I think it’s extremely important to preserve these ancient genetics,” Epstein said. “But you would have to be dedicated to conserving those genetics. The market doesn’t seem to want to reward you for that at the moment. It’s a bit of a dilemma.

“In order for me to sell a product that the current market wants, I better take it and cross it with something that will increase potency, make it grow normally in a commercial grow environment, and produce a decent yield.”
Source: MJBizMagazine

It is for this reason that it is important to preserve these heirloom varieties because once they are lost, we lose diversity as we know it. It’s not easy, but fortunately there are many people around the world who are involved in conservation.

Sticky bottom line

To answer the question, “Are we messing around with cannabis too much,” I think it depends on who you ask. Personally, I’m very much in favor of experimentation, but we shouldn’t let economics and prices dictate experimentation.

We learned that THC alone is not what makes a cannabis strain great. Understanding the nuances of the different terpene profiles, minor cannabinoids, flavonoids, etc. – that’s what makes a great strain… well, GREAT!

As our understanding of cannabis evolves, we will commend those who have kept their heirloom strains because they only become more valuable with time. As we discover new technologies and understand the interactions between humans and cannabis, it could even lead to the development of new medicines and possibly even cure diseases we have never heard of.

The point is that we have to tread carefully. On the other hand, since humans are “nature,” we may play an evolutionary role in promoting selective breeding and the creation of new strains. But then again, when you look at companies like Monsanto, it limits our diversity, and that could be bad for us in the future.

Conserving biodiversity is important and here “we may be playing around with cannabis a little too much”!

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FRANKENSTRAIN WEED CREATED BY THE ISRAELI SCIENTIST!