New Genetics Test Predicts If Cannabis Will Be THC or CBD-Rich

University of Minnesota researchers have validated a genetic test that can predict whether a cannabis plant will produce mostly CBD or THC – a tool that could help prevent farmers from cultivating hemp that violates federal and state laws.

The team studied three different cannabis varieties – from industrial hemp growers, samples from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and wild cannabis (or ditch weed) – comparing genetic markers with the ratio of THC versus CBD. The team then verified that genetics were a good predictor of the ratio.

George Weiblen, who is a professor in the College of Biological Sciences and the science director & curator of plants at the Bell Museum whose laboratory led the study, said he hopes the technique “can assist in new seed certification for the hemp industry.”