Cannabis genetics make understanding the plant easier

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Understanding what goes on inside the plant could help clear the air on its benefits

Washington State University (WSU) researchers are hoping they can provide state and federal regulators with more information on marijuana, hemp and cannabidiol (CBD). They are analyzing the genetic and chemical composition of cannabis in what is being billed as the first thorough examination of the plant in hopes of being able to clear the air on what cannabis is and isn’t, and help further regulations to oversee the nascent cannabis industry.

Current methods of analyzing cannabis genetics haven’t been sufficient, according to WSU Institute for Biological Chemistry professor Mark Lange. He asserts that regulators are concentrating too heavily on just tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound of cannabis, and ignoring all the rest. Lange, along with his fellow researchers have analyzed genetic sequences from nine different strains and have uncovered unique gene networks that lead to the production of cannabinoid resins and terpenes.

The research will help lead regulators to better understand cannabis and, in turn, better implement policies to help the consumer cannabis industry grow. Explains Lange, “One of the things that needs to happen in the emerging market is that you know what you’re selling. You can’t just call it something and then that’s good. We need to be very clear that this is the cannabinoid profile that is associated with, say, Harlequin – it has a specific cannabinoid profile, a specific terpenoids profile, and that’s what it is. If it has a different name, then it should have a different profile. Currently you can do whatever you want.”

Unfortunately, Lange and the rest of the team are still limited by government bureaucracy. Federal laws, as well as WSU policies, prevent him from actually touching the plant. The cannabis was handled by a private cannabis testing lab that is licensed by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and then sent to another lab for RNA sequencing. The researchers were only allowed to analyze high-resolution data sets that mark the genes of the strains and their end products. This is certainly not ideal, as it leads to delays and higher costs associated with the research, which is not what the industry needs to flourish.