What are phenotypes and strains of cannabis strains?

When purchasing cannabis strains, you will find that there are many other terms used to describe these strains. This includes phenotypes, chemotypes, genotypes and varieties. These are also important terms to know if you want to grow your own cannabis. Here’s a look at the phenotypes and strains of cannabis strains.

Photo via Pixabay

Cannabis strains and strains

Cannabis strains are the variation names formed by strains and any progeny produced from these modified plants. They can be created through regular breeding or other more modern methods, sometimes they can also result from genetic mutations.

The name of a cannabis strain like Blue Dream, Afghan Kush or Sour Diesel refers to the characteristics that the strain retains. Today, nearly 1,000 cannabis strains are known, which are further classified into one of three categories: sativa, indica, or hybrid. In general, sativa cannabis strains are known for their energizing and uplifting properties when consumed, while indica strains tend to be calming and relaxing and suitable for night time consumption. Hybrid strains now combine the effects of both.

As cannabis use becomes more widespread around the world, there’s always a new strain to look forward to when breeders try to make their own strain.

Botanically, stems and cultivars refer to plants that have been sexually bred by seed propagation. Selected plant seeds, such as those chosen because they have certain properties, are used to produce another generation. Mutations can occur during sexual reproduction of cannabis plants, but these tend to affect only one plant, which the breeder can usually remove from the rest of the population.

At the end of the day, both cannabis strains and strains are exactly the same. Scholars tend to use the term “cultivars” while “cultivars” is a more popular mainstream term.

When purchasing strains, consider or ask the breeder the following:

genetic ancestry: Understanding the genetic lineage of a strain will help you identify known strains. There are also numerous phenotypes possible for a strain, so just knowing them by name is not enough.

laboratory tests: If you are interested in learning about the effects of a strain in detail, a lab test can give you more specific information about its THC and CBD levels, as well as its cannabinoids and terpenes.

Effects: To find out the effects of a strain, you have to research what consumers are saying. This will help you understand if you have specific needs that the strain can fill or not, and if other consumers can meet their needs with this strain. This is a good start, although the effects will vary in people as there are other factors that affect how we feel when consuming a strain, such as our own endocannabinoid system being different from other people’s endocannabinoid systems.

leaf type: In some cases you can easily tell the leaf type from the plant, in other cases it is not so obvious that you have to ask. If she has big, fat buds, they are likely to possess the same genotypes and phenotypes as broad-leaved strains (BLV), while those with long, thin buds and leaves will exhibit the characteristics of a narrow-leaved strain (NLV).

Varietal shapes and sizes

Aside from the psychoactive properties, strains and strains are also identified based on their physical properties. As mentioned earlier, there are Broad Leaf Varieties (BLV) which are fat and bushy plants with broad leaves, while Narrow Leaf Varieties (NLV) are thin and lanky plants with thin leaves. Broad-leaved plants are known to have sedative and calming effects, while narrow-leaved plants are uplifting and invigorating.

RELATED: What Are Skunk, Haze, and Kush Cannabis Strains?

Keep in mind that while these are the usual effects associated with the strains mentioned, the effects are not limited to them. However, they determine the phenotypes and strains that breeders want to grow. Because of this, growers can now develop strains or strains that are invigorating and energizing while also being slightly calming. This has led to the growth of the hybrid strain market where you can now buy many backcrosses and mixes for a uniquely pleasurable experience.

Photo by Cavan Images/Getty Images

Phenotypes, genotypes, chemotypes

Earlier we mentioned that strains or strains are classified based on their observable effects: uplifting, calming, etc.

These phenotypes are essentially the apparent traits of a plant associated with its effects on the consumer. On the other hand, a genotype is the plant’s genetic makeup and internal blueprint, passed down from its ancestors. A genotype gives the list of possible traits that a plant can have and pass on to its offspring, although a cannabis genotype is influenced by the environment in which it is grown. The overall smell, shape, and color of a plant are all affected by the environment in which cannabis is grown.

RELATED: Cannabis, Marijuana, and Hemp—What Exactly Is the Difference?

A chemotype refers to the chemical makeup of the plant, or the chemical components and cannabinoids it contains, and the amount of each. Specifically, this would tell you how much CBD or THC a plant contains, as well as its cannabinoids and terpenes. Around 85 cannabinoids are known, all of which have various health benefits and effects, while terpenes contribute to the strain’s unique smells and influence its therapeutic and psychoactive effects.

Differences in the same cannabis strain

It’s not uncommon that when you buy another batch of Lemon Kush you find that it tastes, looks and feels different than the last batch you bought and absolutely loved. This can happen because environment and genetics affect the strain and the end result is a plant that expresses different phenotypes.

Now that you are armed with information, you can start experimenting with growing your own strain of cannabis, or perhaps trying out a new strain of cannabis.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.