Triploid Cannabis and CRISPR: The Future of Weed Genetics

Nobody has an exact count of cannabis strains in the world: there are thousands, and new genetics hit the scene every year (2023 alone brought a wave of them, many only now reaching grow shops). What's changing fastest isn't the number but the method: breeders are moving beyond classic diploid seeds toward triploid cannabis and CRISPR gene editing. Here's what those terms mean and why every grower should care.

A short history of cannabis breeding and chromosomes

Traditionally, cannabis genetics are diploid, meaning the plant carries two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. Sex works on an XY system: females are 'XX' and males are 'XY'. In regular seeds, the mother always passes on an 'X' and the father passes on either an 'X' or a 'Y', so you get a mix of female 'XX' and male 'XY' plants.

Feminized seeds, on the other hand, come from two female parents, so they only carry 'X' chromosomes and produce almost all female offspring. Both photoperiod feminized seeds and feminized autoflowers have an 'XX' pair.

Triploid seeds carry three sets of chromosomes instead of two, with the extra set inherited from the parents. Because of that odd number, triploid plants are basically unable to complete fertilization, so they end up sterile and practically seedless.

Several industries already use triploid genetics, including the global banana business. The best-known example is the Cavendish banana, which relies on triploid genes so the fruit you buy doesn't have hard seeds inside. Since triploid plants can't reproduce through pollination, they're propagated only by cuttings (cloning).

Feminized seeds vs. triploid cannabis seeds: what's the difference?

Up to now, cannabis breeding, for both autoflowers and photoperiod feminized seeds, has stuck to traditional diploid genetics (two sets of chromosomes). But the next few years could bring the first triploid cannabis seeds to market, and that could be a game changer for yield and quality. So what does that actually mean?

According to ongoing research, triploid cannabis could keep its cannabinoid levels stable, and you wouldn't have to worry about your crop accidentally going to seed after a stray pollination.

On top of that, you could share clones of your triploid plants with no problem: they root easily and grow into healthy new triploid plants with the same elite genetics.

One important point: triploid cannabis is not the same as a genetically modified organism (GMO). Triploidy involves manipulating chromosome counts through breeding, not modifying genes.

Why triploid cannabis strains could be a revolution

Triploid cannabis strains have the potential to shake up the cannabis industry, where finished products command high prices and demand keeps growing.

That's why triploid genetics could be the next frontier, bringing fresh, transformative benefits for home growers and commercial operations alike.

What is CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing?

CRISPR, short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, was developed in 2012 by French researcher Emmanuelle Charpentier and American researcher Jennifer A. Doudna.

This highly precise gene-editing tool can cut specific DNA sequences that make up genes. That means the genes behind particular traits of the cannabis plant, like leaf color or THC and CBD production, can be modified or knocked out completely. The result is a custom-designed cannabis plant built with extreme precision.

It sounds like something dreamed up in a lab, but CRISPR is actually a bacterial defense system that recognizes and cuts viral DNA to neutralize an infection. The "molecular scissors" this duo of scientists developed can be used in bacterial, animal or plant cells.

This technique is a major leap for gene editing and for the food and farming industry. And because CRISPR doesn't have to bring in outside DNA, edited plants often aren't considered transgenic: it edits the plant's own genetic material without adding genes from other species or organisms (how regulators classify them varies by country).

How CRISPR/Cas9 could change cannabis genetics

Applying CRISPR/Cas9 to cannabis genetics promises a string of major benefits, starting with more uniform harvests and higher yields. Here are some other perks that could help you grow amazing plants:

• Tighter control of the THC/CBD ratio in hemp crops, where genetic variation can push THC too high and lead to big losses because of legal limits on this psychoactive cannabinoid.
• Higher THC production in cannabis plants, either by boosting output in the trichomes or by getting other parts of the plant to produce it for large-scale production.
• More of the rare or minor cannabinoids with pharmaceutical potential in the flowers.
• More biomass.
• Better resistance to disease and environmental stress.
• More trichomes.
• Changes to the terpene profile.

With prospects like these, it's no surprise that cannabis industry leaders are pouring serious resources into the race for new cannabis genetics.