Hydrolife Magazine August/September 2017 [USA Edition]

The cannabis industry, like other agricultural
industries, is undoubtedly dominated by hybrid
varieties. Through selective breeding, humans have
been able to fine-tune hybrids to contain desired genetic
traits. For cannabis plants, these desired traits can
range from unique cannabinoid profiles, such as varying
levels of THC and CBD, to having certain flavor or aroma
characteristics influenced by specific terpenes. Hybrids
can even be bred to display higher tolerances to things
like drought or disease when the proper cultivars are
used in the breeding process.
The vast majority of hybrid cannabis available today is
usually a mix of both indica and sativa species that are
often bred to contain more dominant traits from one, such
as a sativa-dominant strain.
Cannabis is widely believed to have first evolved in
Central Asia, and as migrants and traders traveled to other
regions, they would often carry cannabis seeds with them.
These seeds would then be planted and cultivated in a different
environment from which they came. For thousands
of years, these plants interbred in different regions without
the interference of other cannabis varieties.
This caused them to adapt to their environments. In doing
so, they developed distinct genetic traits and characteristics
unique to their respective homes. Such plant varieties
eventually became indigenous to their individual regions
and are now referred to as the landrace strains. They are
the genetic forefathers of modern hybrids and many populations
are still maintained today.
This is where the terms indica and sativa come into play.
These two varieties are the main landraces that modern
hybrids stem from. The cannabis that was introduced
and allowed to breed in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan,
Pakistan, and India are called indicas. In these
regions, the growing season is shorter and the weather can
be harsh at times. Indica has adapted by growing shorter
and bushier, and flowering a bit earlier in the season once
summer solstice brings longer nighttime periods.
Sativas, on the other hand, originated in areas closer to
the equator like southern Asia and northern Africa.
Since the weather stays warm year-round
there, cannabis sativa plants will grow taller
and leaner and take longer to flower.
A third, lesser known landrace variety is cannabis ruderalis.
Ruderalis evolved in the Siberian region of Russia, where
the growing season is notably shorter. This variety grows
much smaller than its indica and sativa cousins and has
a significantly lower level of THC and other cannabinoids.
What makes ruderalis unique from other landraces is the
fact that it flowers upon reaching a certain point of maturity
and does require a change in photoperiod length. This allows
it to flower more quickly, giving the plant variety a level of
importance among breeders.
“ Such plant varieties eventually became indigenous
to their individual regions and are now referred to as the
landrace strains. They are the genetic forefathers of modern
hybrids and many populations are still maintained today.”
The original landrace indicas and sativas, and their individual
traits, are often named for the places they originated, such
as Afghani, Hindu Kush, Malawi, or Thai.
Throughout the 1970s, cannabis aficionados from around the
world traveled throughout Asia, Africa, and the Middle East in
search of the best of what they viewed as a sacred plant had
to offer. The routes they followed are part of what is called the
Hashish Trail, aptly referred to as the Hippie Trail.
On their journeys, many would collect seeds from landrace
cannabis varieties and bring them home to grow in their own
gardens, effectively making them heirlooms. The relevance
of this strain relocation in the US lies mostly in Hawaii and
the hills of northern California. Northern California’s Emerald
Triangle sits approximately on the same parallel line as
Afghanistan and the Hindu Kush mountains. Indica varieties
found themselves right at home in northern California’s cooler
climates and shorter growing seasons, eventually giving birth
to the famous OG Kush variety.
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