GMO Cannabis: Does Genetically Modified Weed Actually Exist?

Is there GMO cannabis?

Genetically modified cannabis exists mostly in the lab: the main "GMO" route today is engineering yeast to brew cannabinoids like THC and CBD, while transgenic cannabis plants show up in patent filings, not on seed shelves (and no, we don't mean GMO Cookies, the strain). Cannabis sativa, the botanical name for both recreational weed and the hemp that CBD comes from, ranks by some estimates among the most valuable crops in the United States, so it's fair to ask whether, like so many other American agricultural industries, it has gone transgenic.

Carefully breeding crops or animals to dial down or eliminate certain traits and amplify others is something humans have done for a very long time. 

Some places, regions and communities would rather ban GMO crops, while others, the US above all, grow and eat food products perfected in the lab.

Selective breeding is happening in the cannabis industry right now. And it always has, since that's basically what breeders and seed banks do. These days you can search INASE (Argentina's national seed institute) or the US Patent and Trademark Office database and find patent applications for proprietary cannabis strains. That tells you there are plant scientists, botanists and growers out there hunting for the next star strain and using every tool available to get there.

In almost every industry, cannabis included, big producers are after better plants: high-yielding, tough, resilient and easy to mass-produce. 

Here's the twist: making genetically modified versions of the chemicals found in cannabis, known as cannabinoids, doesn't actually involve changing the plant itself.

Scientists working on lab-made cannabinoids genetically alter fermenting yeast, a process comparable to making synthetic perfumes from compounds found in flowers, to build copies of the DNA sequences found in cannabis. The yeast becomes a tiny factory that churns out cannabinoids in the lab.

How many chemicals are in weed?

THC and CBD are the two most famous cannabinoids, but the cannabis plant contains more than 100 different compounds, many of which have barely been studied. Scientists can design the genetic material in the yeast to produce specific properties, like a medication that's essentially pure CBD.

The facilities of companies working on genetically engineered cannabinoids look like a cross between a traditional science lab and a "fancy" microbrewery, with big tanks full of the yeast used in the genetic modification process.

According to the people doing it, brewing THC, CBD and other cannabinoids in a lab is far cheaper and more efficient than growing plants.

Some reports link companies like Hyasynth Bio (better known for making cannabinoids with yeast) to patents for a transgenic cannabis plant with improved yield and seed growth and for a more salt-tolerant transgenic hemp, though we haven't been able to confirm those patents.

Other patent filings for genetic tweaks to cannabis reportedly include:

- A transgenic hemp product with better pest resistance.

- A heat-resistant transgenic cannabis plant.

- Drought-tolerant cannabis plants.

- A transgenic cannabis cell that changes the way the plant produces

polyunsaturated fatty acids.

What are GMOs? Common examples

GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are organisms whose genetic material has been altered with genetic engineering techniques. Typically, that means inserting genes from one species into the genome of another to give it specific traits.

Agriculture is full of GMO examples. One is Bt corn, which has been modified to carry genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. Those genes code for proteins that are toxic to certain corn pests, cutting down on the need for insecticides. Another is Roundup Ready soybeans, modified to resist the herbicide glyphosate. That lets farmers spray the herbicide without hurting the soy plants, which makes weed control (the other kind of weed) easier.

Bt cotton is another GMO crop. It carries Bacillus thuringiensis genes that make it resistant to pests like the cotton bollworm, reducing the need for insecticides. And Rainbow papaya is a transgenic papaya variety developed to resist papaya ringspot virus, which helped save the papaya industry.

The Flavr Savr tomato was one of the first GMO foods ever sold. It was engineered for a longer shelf life and firmer texture, making it easier to ship and sell. These are just a few examples; many other GMO crops are in development or production around the world, each with traits tailored to what farmers and consumers need.

Should we grow genetically modified weed?

Whether we should grow genetically modified cannabis is a complicated question, and people come at it from very different angles. Research is underway on cannabis genetics to improve disease resistance, boost yields and fine-tune cannabinoid profiles. But growing GMO weed raises ethical, legal and environmental questions.

By definition, genetically modified cannabis would count as a GMO, since it involves altering the plant's genetic material. Worth noting, though: GMO cannabis seeds aren't widely available on the market, partly because of legal restrictions in many countries.

Given the broader debate around GMO crops, the possible impacts on human health, the environment and biodiversity need to be weighed before deciding whether genetically modified cannabis varieties should be grown. The legal and regulatory side of producing and using these plants matters too.

Bottom line: the debate over growing genetically modified cannabis is still evolving, and it's tangled up with ethics, law and the environment. The potential benefits and risks deserve a careful look before anyone makes the call.

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