Cannabis is a dioecious species, which means it reproduces via individual male and female plants. When male cannabis plants become sexually mature they release pollen. Female cannabis plants capture that pollen via sticky flowers (a.k.a. buds), and when fertilized produce seeds.    Fertilized female cannabis plants generate smaller flowers with significantly less terpene, flavonoid, and cannabinoid content than unfertilized females. This is because when female cannabis plants undergo an extended period of virginity they will actively increase the number and size of their female ..read more

Up until the 1970s, it was typical for cannabis flower to be packed with seeds. It was around that time that a cannabis farmer figured out that separating female cannabis plants—which yield the well-known, cannabinoid-rich buds—from their male counterparts would result “sensimilla,” or seedless cannabis flower. Seeded cannabis is a major inconvenience for consumers, who have to pick out each seed before lighting up. Failure to remove seeds will give your cannabis an extra pop, as the seeds tend to explode when exposed to high heat. Seeds also compromise flavor and create a harsher smoke for ..read more

Employees in cannabis production facilities are exposed to large quantities of ground product, which may trigger asthma, allergic rhinitis, and urticaria. In November 2023, the CDC reported a fatal occupational asthma attack suffered by an employee at a Massachusetts cannabis production facility. The subsequent investigation did not determine a definitive cause for the condition; however, the report did mention investigators tested the air for levels of endotoxin, “a pro-inflammatory contaminant associated with gram-negative bacterial growth on organic materials such as cannabis flower”.&nb ..read more

Through much of the 20th century, it was common for cannabis flowers to be loaded with seeds. It wasn’t until the 1970s that a cannabis grower figured out how to make “sensimilla” or seedless cannabis flower. The trick is to make sure female cannabis plants, which produce the cannabinoid-rich buds we all know and love, are not pollinated by male pollen. Not only will fertilized female cannabis plants produce seeds flowers, but is will produce much lower concentrations of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. That is because the plant uses valuable energy producing seeds that could have ot ..read more

CannMed started in 2016, when Medicinal Genomics partnered with Dr. Raphael Mechoulam to host the leading researchers and clinicians in cannabinoid medicine at Boston’s Harvard Medical School. Since then, CannMed has transformed into an industry event that attracts the brightest minds in cannabis science, medicine, cultivation, and safety testing.  In 2023, CannMed transformed into an Innovation and Investment Summit held at the J.W. Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, Marco Island, FL. The new location and the new format included expanded professional development workshops, engaging n ..read more

Plant pathogens cost the global economy around $220 billion annually, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. While the study of plant pathogens affecting Cannabis is still in its infancy, Fusarium, Pythium, and Hop Latent Viroid (HLVd) are emerging as costly infections for cannabis growers.  The most challenging and dangerous pathogens affecting cannabis plants are the ones that: Cause significant damage to the plant (i.ie., reduction in plant yield and/or total crop loss)  Easily spread to other plants via air, shared water, soil, and/or contamina ..read more

There are still a lot of unknowns when it comes to hop latent viroid (HLVd), including how the pathogen spreads. New research indicates that leafhoppers, which are known vectors for beet curly top virus and lettuce chlorosis virus, may also have the ability to spread HLVd.  The Medicinal Genomics team has been working with Collin Palmer to study HLVd infection in cannabis. Collin is housing HLVd-infected plants at his facility, and he recently spotted leafhoppers on them. He suspected they could be capable of spreading the viroid, so he captured a few leafhoppers and brought them to our l ..read more

Editor’s Note: This blog was updated in May 2023 with additions to the list of states requiring Aspergillus testing, documented cases of aspergillosis from contmainated cannabis.    While there have been no documented fatal overdoses from cannabis in the 39 states that have legalized its use, there have been more than two dozen documented cases of cannabis users acquiring aspergillosis from cannabis products contaminated with Aspergillus spores. Some of those cases have even led to death. News articles and video interviews have argued that Aspergillus testing on cannabis products is ..read more

CannMed 23 at Marco Island, Florida, was a not-to-be-missed event. But if you weren’t able to be there, you wouldn’t know that. So here are just a dozen new developments, breakthroughs, and aha moments from this year’s summit that might just convince you to circle CannMed 24 on your calendar right now. In the meantime, you can find all CannMed 23 presentations, along with 100+ more videos from past events in our searchable CannMed Archives library. Enjoy.   In his keynote presentation, Ethan Russo, Founder/CEO of CReDO Science and medical director of Breeder’s Best gave a glimp ..read more

To ensure the safety and quality of cannabis products, some jurisdictions set limits on the amount of yeast and mold that can be present. A total yeast and mold (TYM) failure can be a serious financial hit for growers, depending on the rules in their jurisdiction. In some cases, regulators allow growers to extract cannabinoids from the failed batch, and retest. In other states, growers have to scrap the entire batch.  Dr. Zamir Punja’s team at Simon Fraser University recently published a study where they analyzed more than 2,000 cannabis samples over 3 years to identify specific factors t ..read more