Indica and sativa labels cannot be trusted, a study shows

Most indica and sativa labels on cannabis are fake, results from a new analysis show. Cultivars are generally sold as an indica, sativa, or hybrid of both and promise energizing or calming effects, but this classification system is likely nothing more than a trend that refuses to die.

A new study published in Nature Plants on October 14th re-analyzed nearly 300 cannabis samples and found surprising results. Researchers from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, joined a team from Wageningen University & Research Institute in the Netherlands to process the data.

The researchers collected and analyzed 297 samples that had previously been quantified for terpene and cannabinoid content and genotyped for over 100,000 individual nucleotide polymorphisms. The results showed that Sativa and Indica-labeled samples were “genetically indistinct” on a genome-wide scale.

“Growers around the world use the terms ‘Indica’ and ‘Sativa’ to refer to their cannabis strains subjectively. There is nothing scientific about it. Unfortunately, retailers and consumers cannot rely on the labels attached to the jars, ”said Dr. Sean Myles, associate professor in the Department of Agriculture at Dalhousie University and lead author of the study. “There is now a broad scientific consensus that the current use of indica and sativa labels is misleading: these labels do not provide reliable information about the genetic or chemical makeup of the plant.”

Instead, check terps for effects

While labeling cannabis as sativa or indica is a poor and unscientific way of categorizing cannabis, researchers found that labeling cannabis with certain terpenes is probably the better way.

“Our results show that the sativa-indica scale currently used to label cannabis poorly captures overall genomic and metabolomic variation,” the researchers wrote. “The cannabis tagging is, instead, likely primarily driven by a small number of key terpenes, the concentrations of which contribute to the distinctive flavors commonly associated with sativa and indica, and the variation of which is genetically engineered on tandem arrays of terpene synthase Have mapped genes on chromosomes 5 and 6. ”

The researchers found a stronger correlation between terpenes and markers. Myrcene and three sesquiterpenes (guaiol, β-eudesmol and γ-eudesmol) were strongly associated with “indica” tags, while bergamot and ferns were strongly associated with “sativa” tags.

Sativa and Indica labeling may have little correlation with the genetic background and origin of the strains.

The researchers further elaborated on the source of the confusion: “We assume that cannabis breeders and breeders label strains primarily on the basis of aroma profiles and alleged effects, rather than on the basis of genetic ancestry or general chemical similarity. ”

Most cannabis is hybrid

Preserved landrace strains that are naturally grown and stabilized in isolated areas, like Durban Poison or Acapulco Gold, might have a better chance of being a pure sativa, or an Afghan landrace for a purer indica. Some have been preserved for generations. But mass cross-pollination makes it much more likely to come across hybrids in retail stores these days.

In 1753, all cannabis strains were defined as Cannabis sativa according to the identification of the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus. Then came the biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1785, who identified cannabis indica. Finally, in 1924, the Russian botanist DE Janischewsky identified cannabis ruderalis. However, this classification system is based solely on physical properties of phenotypes such as shape, foliation, thickness, etc. – not on effects.

However, cannabis effects cannot simply be defined in terms of sativa or indica – and these types of labels are unlikely to be scientific either. In addition, many sativas can cause drowsiness, defy categorization, and vice versa with energizing indicas. Judging cannabis potency based solely on delta-9 THC levels is also misleading.

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