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If you walk into any major dispensary in Oregon, you might find budtenders advertising new bud products, and you may wonder how these growers can constantly develop fresh versions of seemingly the same plant. If you’re asking, “How are new marijuana strains developed?” you aren’t alone. Cannabis breeding is a highly fascinating process, and learning behind the scenes of this art can give you a greater appreciation for your bud.

Below, our team from Cannabis & Glass in Ontario, Oregon, explains how varieties of marijuana are born. If you want to explore exciting quality products, come check out our inventory!

How New Marijuana Strains Are Formed: Cross-Breeding 101

So, how are new marijuana strains developed? The basics down to genetic cross-breeding. This involves taking two unique parent strains and breeding them together to create a unique plant that features some of the terpene profiles and flavor characteristics from each of its parents.

For example, Super Lemon Haze is a popular hybrid that was born from Lemon Skunk and Super Silver Haze. To combine Lemon Skunk and Super Silver Haze, the breeder selected a male preflower plant from one strain to pollinate a female flower from the other, allowing the female to produce seeds expressing both genes. These seeds are then grown and harvested in a separate environment so they can flourish into hybrid plants.

What Are Phenotypes?

Female cannabis plants produce seeds, which are the phenotypes. When pollinated, these plants can produce hundreds of different phenotypes with varying genetic structures. Some of the “children” might feature dad’s scent and dense bud structure, while others may display mom’s resin production abilities or flowering time.

These varying genetic structures are called genotypes. When cultivators grow mass groups of offspring from two parent plants, they will all show varying genotypes, which leads us to the phase of marijuana development called “pheno-hunting.”

What Goes Into Phenotype Selection? Looking Into the Art of Pheno-Hunting

Cultivators do not simply combine Lemon Skunk and Super Silver Haze and choose the very first offspring that grows. Instead, they sort through the dozens or hundreds of viable plants to select one with all of the perfect traits.

When pheno-hunting, cultivators evaluate everything from the plant’s aromas and physical structure to its terpene profile and growability. They want to select a phenotype that combines all of the best features from each parent plant so they can continue replicating its genes for mass production. This golden plant will be carefully reproduced in a consistent, measured way so each of its phenotypes feature identical qualities.

Developing the New Strains

Now you understand the selection process, but how are new marijuana strains developed? Once they select the ideal phenotype, cultivators must strengthen its genetics to ensure dependable breeding results for the market. This introduces the process of back-crossing, which inbreeds the plant with itself.

By pollinating the phenotype with itself, you create strong, homozygous traits that can be passed down to future generations. In most cases, when you’re buying hybrid strains from a dispensary, these plants have been back-crossed for months or even years to ensure perfect quality and consistency. This process requires patience and can be quite frustrating, but it offers the prime results that the highest-quality dispensaries deliver.

Are You Ready To Shop a Wide Selection of New Strains?

Now you know the answer to, “How are new marijuana strains developed?” so you’re likely in the mood to check out the freshest drops on our shelves at Cannabis & Glass. Stop by our dispensary in Ontario, Oregon, to shop quality cannabis, or contact us today to learn more.