Genotype
The genetic code a cannabis plant inherits from its parents — distinct from how that plant actually grows out.
Genotype is the cannabis plant's blueprint — the DNA it inherited. It's not the same as what you see in the jar. Two clones of the same genotype can produce noticeably different flower depending on light, nutrients, and environment. When breeders sell 'genetics,' they're selling a genotype (or a population of related ones in seed form). When you smoke a particular harvest, you're experiencing a phenotype expressed from that genotype.
Definition
Genotype refers to the complete set of genes an individual cannabis plant inherits from its parents. It is the underlying genetic instructions — the DNA sequence — that the plant carries in every cell.
Genotype is distinct from phenotype, which is the observable result of that genotype interacting with the environment (light, temperature, nutrients, stress, training). It is also distinct from chemotype, which classifies plants by the cannabinoids they actually produce (THC-dominant, CBD-dominant, balanced, etc.) [1].
What it determines
Genotype sets the potential range for traits including:
- Cannabinoid profile (e.g. whether a plant can make THC at all is governed by functional copies of the THCA synthase gene) Strong evidence [2]
- Terpene profile potential Strong evidence [3]
- Plant morphology (height, leaf shape, branching)
- Flowering time and photoperiod response
- Disease and pest resistance
What actually shows up in the finished flower — the phenotype — depends on how the environment expresses that potential.
Genotype vs. strain name
A strain name like 'Blue Dream' or 'OG Kush' is a marketing label, not a genotype. Genotyping studies have repeatedly found that samples sold under the same strain name often have different genetic profiles, and samples with different names can be genetically nearly identical Strong evidence [4][5]. If you want the same genotype twice, you need a clone of a specific mother plant, not a seed labeled with the same name.
Used in articles about
- Phenotype hunting — selecting standout plants from a population of related genotypes
- Clones — preserving a single genotype indefinitely
- Landrace — regional populations with distinctive genotypes shaped by local selection
- Backcrossing — locking in genotype traits through breeding
Sources
- Peer-reviewed Hillig, K. W., & Mahlberg, P. G. (2004). A chemotaxonomic analysis of cannabinoid variation in Cannabis (Cannabaceae). American Journal of Botany, 91(6), 966–975.
- Peer-reviewed Weiblen, G. D., Wenger, J. P., Craft, K. J., ElSohly, M. A., Mehmedic, Z., Treiber, E. L., & Marks, M. D. (2015). Gene duplication and divergence affecting drug content in Cannabis sativa. New Phytologist, 208(4), 1241–1250.
- Peer-reviewed Booth, J. K., Page, J. E., & Bohlmann, J. (2017). Terpene synthases from Cannabis sativa. PLOS ONE, 12(3), e0173911.
- Peer-reviewed Sawler, J., Stout, J. M., Gardner, K. M., Hudson, D., Vidmar, J., Butler, L., Page, J. E., & Myles, S. (2015). The genetic structure of marijuana and hemp. PLOS ONE, 10(8), e0133292.
- Peer-reviewed Schwabe, A. L., & McGlaughlin, M. E. (2019). Genetic tools weed out misconceptions of strain reliability in Cannabis sativa: implications for a budding industry. Journal of Cannabis Research, 1, 3.
How this page was made
Generation history
Drafting assistance and fact-check automation are used, with a human operator spot-checking on a weekly basis. See how articles are made.
Related
- Backcrossing — A breeding technique used to lock in a desired trait by repeatedly crossing offspring back...