Nova Scotia scientists discover that cannabis strains are mislabelled

Sean Myles, a researcher at Dalhousie University, discovered cannabis was mislabelled on shelves in Nova Scotia. After an in-depth study of the DNA of different strains, Myles told Global News, “There isn’t much of a difference.” Nova Scotia currently has the highest cannabis use rate in the country at 27 percent.

Imagine feeling under the weather. Most would take a trip to the local pharmacy to find something that might help. You know your symptoms so walk down the aisle and read the packages carefully. You want to make sure that the medicine you choose matches your symptoms.

Avid cannabis smokers could also read the labels carefully – especially if they are used medicinally. Now imagine if you wanted to buy cough syrup you buy Benedryl, all because of the label.

According to Myles, associate professor in the Faculty of Agriculture, strains often referred to as sativa are even more chemically related to something called indica. The strain label is a bad predictor of everything and not useful for consumers. This is a great deal for those seeking the medicinal content of a particular plant.

Why are tribes incorrectly labeled?

George Smitherman, President of the Cannabis Council of Canada, says mislabeled cannabis is due to the droplet effects of illegal cannabis products. “License holders were able to bring back plants from the illegal world, where naming was perhaps more of a trend and less of a scientific matter,” said Smitherman.

This mislabeling in Nova Scotia is a big problem, so why isn’t cannabis properly labeled? Basically, the phenotypes of cannabis are much more complex than previously thought. With the discovery of more complex cannabinoids in recent decades, the differences between sativa and indica are no longer so clear.

Keep in mind two things that affect the structural formation of a particular cannabis plant: genetics and the environment. The genetic makeup (also called genotype) acts as a blueprint for growth and enables a spectrum of physical possibilities. However, it is up to the environment to induce these properties. We refer to the physical expression of genotypes as phenotype, defined as the characteristics that the environment pulls out of the genetic code. Everything from color, shape, smell and resin production is influenced by the environment.

“When Pinot Noir appears on a bottle of wine, the consumer can be sure that the wine is made from Pinot Noir grapes. Unfortunately, cannabis users cannot have this confidence – labels and strain names make it bad to inform consumers what they are consuming. ”

Dr. Sean Myles, Dalhousie University.

Be careful

Now, Myles warns that breeders and breeders may be more subjectively labeling their cannabis strains based on a small number of aromatic compounds that are under genetic control. He said consumers shouldn’t rely on cannabis labels to inform them about their use.