MARCH 2018 GERMINATION.CA 17 you really have to question that,” Myles says. “At the moment, you can only go by the experience of the person telling you that, or their recollection of what other people told them about it. You can’t rely on scientific evidence, because right now there is none.” Cannabis strains and products currently available to consumers are questionable in terms of their genetic purity, and the industry is in dire need of a better system for ensur- ing consumers are getting what they pay for, according to researcher Sean Myles, research chair in the Faculty of Agriculture at Dalhousie University. “The genetic background of these strains is hugely questionable. Right now, anyone using medicinal or recreational cannabis has no idea what these varieties are genetically,” Myles says. “Right now in the can- nabis world, you can put anything on the package and call it whatever you want, and there’s no system in place to ensure you’re actually getting what you pay for in terms of genetic purity of the product.” In Canada, licensed growers are required to list levels of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis) and CBD (a non-psychoactive mol- ecule produced by the plant) and test for pesticide residues. Anything else can be put on the package and various claims can be made about it — includ- ing medical claims that don’t necessar- ily have any science behind them. A good example is a strain called Bubba Kush, sold to licensed medical users and claiming to be what’s called an “indica” strain of marijuana known for its supposed tranquilizing effects. Leafly.com, a popular cannabis- related website, states that Bubba Kush’s stocky plant stature and bulky bud structure suggest Afghani descent, but its genetic origins aren’t certain. The breeder whom this strain was named after states that Bubba Kush emerged just after 1996 when a specific cannabis hybrid “pollinated an unknown indica strain obtained in New Orleans.” Myles notes that such vague descriptions simply don’t cut it in a world where marijuana is fast becom- ing a legitimate crop just as industrial hemp has in recent years. “Anyone behind the counter tell- ing you that this strain of marijuana is going to be good for your arthritis, “In nature, there may very well be two distinct strains of marijuana, and they might very well have different effects physically and psychologically, but what is reported by and to the consumer is not an accurate reflec- tion of the genetics of what is being consumed. It’s difficult to verify — Jackson McLean displays a faux cannabis seed packet label. Decoding a Plant Research like that happening at Segra is yielding new insights into the canna- bis plant. Historically, cannabis breed- ers and consumers believed the plant was divided into two main strains with distinct psychoactive properties — Cannabis sativa is thought to have a stimulating effect, while Cannabis indica is often believed to have a relaxing effect on the user. Or so con- ventional wisdom says. Research is showing that strains often marketed as being composed mainly of indica end up being made up mostly of sativa, and vice-versa. “Right now there’s no scientific basis for the idea that indica strains are more relaxing than sativa strains. What people claim is indica or sativa is often all messed up genetically,” Myles says. people are making claims and lump- ing them into categories that make no scientific sense.” According to Davidson, until now the vast majority of breeding work has been done by so-called under- ground growers, who in recent years have developed strains designed to be higher in THC and CBD levels and grow under different conditions. One of those “underground growers” is Newfoundland’s Peter Kerrivan (Germination has chosen to use a pseudonym in order to pro- tect his privacy), a licensed medical user of cannabis who for years has grown marijuana for his own per- sonal use, a task he says has been fairly simple using seed currently available on the market. He prefers small, hardier plants which are Cannabis indica and/or