Cannabis Breeding: The Intersection of Patient Input and Lab Testing
Email this pagePresentation of Mike Corall on Cannafest Prague 2014.
An overview of the changes in our understanding of cannabinoids and terpenes and their applications in the medical uses of marijuana and how these relate to strain selection and breeding.
In the 1960s and 70s our knowledge of cannabinoids was extremely limited. This lack of information and the idea that the only important cannabinoid was THC led to the breeding of marijuana strains with ever increasing quantities of THC. Unknowingly, this was done at the expense of other valuable cannabinoids. With the emphasize of breeding focused on THC, cannabinoids, such as CBD, were bred out of most locally developed strains.
With the advent of medical use it was rediscovered that cannabinoids other than THC had a vast possibility in the relief of a wide range of symptoms. Along with this increased knowledge of cannabinoids came an increase in the awareness of the medical benefits of terpenes.
It is now known that cannabinoids and terpenes work synergistically. Some call this the entourage effect.
Now, cannabis growers and breeders have to either back breed or go on a search in cannabis growing regions around the world looking for what are called land races, that may have a broader range of cannabinoids and terpenes, to improve the medical applications in their strains.
Your are cordially invited to the annual conference at Cannafest, the international trade fair of cannabis and medical herbs that will take place on November 11-13, 2016 at the Prague Exhibition Holesovice. The conference presentations will be simultaneously interpreted into English and Czech.
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