TESTING HEMP GENES TELLS US THE MUCH NEEDED STORY

Cannabis has four specific chemical profile types that are encoded in their genome. Type I’s are the high THC low CBD variety, Type II’s are the 50% THC/50% CBD variety, Type III’s are the high CBD low THC variety, and Type IV’s are the anomalous variety with low THC and CBD but with a tendency to be high in CBG. We test our breeding stock for the Type III CBDa synthase gene which is the variety hemp falls into. In order to further understand why this is so crucial you must be familiar with the pathway of cannabinoid synthase. The major cannabinoids begin as CBGa, Cannabigerolic acid, and are then converted via synthase genes to become the more complex cannabinoids like THCa, CBDa, and CBCa. Those cannabinoids continue to convert further but we are mostly concerned with verifying the presence of the CBDa synthase gene in our breeding stock. Knowing this we can eliminate the potential for surprisingly high levels of THC in your field. This practice allows us to provide reliable genetics that are compliant with the U.S.D.A.’s regulations for growing high CBD hemp.