

The modern
domestication of cannabis has created a great diversity of strains that are
currently available with desired characteristics; among them, strains that produce
larger yields, have specific aromas, specific amounts of cannabinoids,
resistance to pests, greater quantity and quality of resin; and all this has
been the result of artificial selection.
This type of selection by the human seeks to improve specific characteristics
of the plant, something similar to what nature does when choosing the most
suitable individual to survive in a certain environment.
Natural
selection has also contributed to differentiating cannabis plants around the
world into plants we now know as
landraces. Landraces are varieties of cannabis native to different parts of
the planet, which are very well adapted to their environment because they have
been selected by the most efficient grower: nature.
Landraces
varieties are known for their rusticity, these plants are highly resistant to environmental factors in the areas where they
are found. On the other hand, these types of strains are genetically very unstable if we compare them with the modern
strains that we find on the market; the fact that they are genetically unstable
plants means that the variability of their offspring will be quite high.
Landraces are
scattered throughout the world from Morocco to Mexico. In Mexico, as in other
parts of the world, landraces were baptized according to their place of origin:
Michoacana, Acapulco Gold, Guerreran
are names that became quite common in this region at the beginning of the 60s.
These strains
native to Mexico are considered quite tall plants, which have thin leaflets, a
long flowering period, and produce a more cerebral psychoactive effect compared
to landraces from Colombia or Thailand.
Now that we know
how these plants originated, it is time to emphasize their importance.
Landraces strains, being plants very well adapted to their environment and
quite resistant, serve as “blank
canvases” to cross them with other strains and add characteristics without
losing their resistance and easy adaptability. This is a plus for modern
growers who are constantly looking to improve their strains.
On the other
hand, landraces, as they are considered native plants, play an important
ecological role, as do other species of native plants; these types of plants,
have adapted very well to a certain geographic location, have developed mutually beneficial relationships with
other species such as insects and birds, depending on each other for their
survival.
Conserving the
native Mexican strains, as well as the native strains of each region, can bring
benefits to users, but also the environment; by maintaining these relationships
with the biotic and abiotic environment that plants have been slowly
establishing for years.
There’s yet so
much to learn about the possibilities that cannabis has to offer us, educating
yourself about the plant has become indispensable in recent years. To begin your education along with experts
with years of industry experience, visit: www.pharmacologyuniversityonline.com
References:
Dinafem. (2017). ¿Cuáles
son las principales Landrace de la marihuana?. Retrieved from: https://www.dinafem.org
#landrace #evolution #ecology #environment
#strains #naturalselection #artificialselection #cannabisculture
Wouldn't it be a good idea to create a course?