Weed You're Smoking Might Not Be What You Think

[Baron23]

The Weed You're Smoking Might Not Be What You Think
In both the legal and illegal cannabis market, the type — or "strain" — of marijuana has taken on great significance for consumers. As the logic goes, if you're looking for a specific type of high or medical benefit: there's a strain for that.

But recent research has raised questions about the genetic consistency of strains sold under a variety of names such as Blue Dream, Sour Diesel, or Girl Scout Cookies. It turns out that the same cannabis labels sold at different dispensaries might contain totally different sets of ingredients.

"The way that seeds work in the cannabis world is more like the human population," Mowgli Holmes, chief scientific officer of the cannabis biotech company Phylos Bioscience, told ATTN:. "Every seed is a unique child from two different parents — and there's just this incredible diversity because the plants spread all around the world and then all of those different varieties came back and recombined into this genetic swirl on the West Coast of the U.S. and in Holland." (cont. Kind of a light weight article but addresses a real issue in MMJ IMO)

 

[CarolKing]

For me some strains have very distinctive vapor tastes. A year ago I bought a strain that I could tell just by taste it wasn't GrapeApe like the bud tender told me. I went back a couple of weeks later and told him that the strain must have been miss marked, he didn't deny it. The strain I told him was a diesel taste not the grape / berry taste that GrapeApe is known for. I was irritated because I had bought 1/4 oz.

I probably go by taste to determine for me, if I'm familiar with a certain strain. Sometimes I like to try new strains, so then I wouldn't know the difference.

Edit
Unforetunely here in WA state we can't smell or feel the product beforehand. Everything is prepackaged. That's what legal does - a lot of regulations. For me I really liked the medical cannabis system we had here before July 1, 2016.

 

[Grim Chiclets]

This is why I largely ignore names (unless I know the originator of the strain), and go by consistency/smell/taste as well.. It's like clickbait.

 

[ginolicious]

I never know what I'm vaping. I stopped going by names years ago. It's never what they say it is. Just get a nice cbd content and I'm set. It's a problem when it's marked for cbd and is a sativa. Then I find myself in trouble.

 

[Baron23]

For me some strains have very distinctive vapor tastes. A year ago I bought a strain that I could tell just by taste it wasn't GrapeApe like the bud tender told me. I went back a couple of weeks later and told him that the strain must have been miss marked, he didn't deny it. The strain I told him was a diesel taste not the grape / berry taste that GrapeApe is known for. I was irritated because I had bought 1/4 oz.

I probably go by taste to determine for me, if I'm familiar with a certain strain. Sometimes I like to try new strains, so then I wouldn't know the difference.

Edit
Unforetunely here in WA state we can't smell or feel the product beforehand. Everything is prepackaged. That's what legal does - a lot of regulations. For me I really liked the medical cannabis system we had here before July 1, 2016.

Hi Carol - probably the only one I could recognize for certain by taste is Blue Dream because for me it has a real distinctive taste....but for all I know there are a 100 other closely related strains that taste the same.

I do think genotyping and eventual trademarking/patenting is the only way we will ever get to a place where what its called really and absolutely is what it is.

 

[Receptor]

....but for all I know there are a 100 other closely related strains that taste the same.
.

Reason for me to keep a minimum of 16 > 24 ?different? strains at all times to keep
my CH at bay.....SO FAR SO GOOD.
I do enjoy the aromatics etc.....but I need my meds....LIFE is GOOD

The Werc Shop LLc. did a scientific study for Natural Products Chemistry Research on
"Cannabinoids and terpenes as chemotaxonomic markers in cannabis".
This was based on 494 flower samples+ 170 concentrate products found/sold
in CA dispensaries.......pdf file is interesting showing graphs/tables
Sorry...by not linking....still ReLearning...

CANNABIS....Cluster Headache...ReNew...Mission. Good to-Go!!!

 

[Baron23]

Reason for me to keep a minimum of 16 > 24 diferent strains at all times to keep
my CH at bay.....SO FAR SO GOOD.
I do enjoy the aromatics etc.....but I need my meds....LIFE is GOOD

The Werc Shop LLc. did a scientific study for Natural Products Chemistry Research on
"Cannabinoids and terpenes as chemotaxonomic markers in cannabis".
This was based on 494 flower samples+ 170 concentrate products found/sold
in CA dispensaries.......pdf file is interesting showing graphs/tables
Sorry...by not linking....still ReLearning...

CANNABIS....Cluster Headache...ReNew...Mission. Good to-Go!!!

The link:

https://www.esciencecentral.org/jou...s-in-cannabis-2329-6836-1000181.php?aid=57624

This has been posted somewhere on the board before...I know I have read it before. Very interesting and seems to support the fact that names are crap now and even major categories like Sativa and Indica are really not clear cut.

 

[Receptor]

The link:

https://www.esciencecentral.org/jou...s-in-cannabis-2329-6836-1000181.php?aid=57624

This has been posted somewhere on the board before...I know I have read it before. Very interesting and seems to support the fact that names are crap now and even major categories like Sativa and Indica are really not clear cut.

Yup that was me...under So Cal Dispensaries....it is a crap shoot of what we are truly getting but...
very grateful for the privileges....availability etc.

CANNABIS....Cluster Headache....ReNew....Mission. Good to-Go!!!

 

[howie105]

The link:

https://www.esciencecentral.org/jou...s-in-cannabis-2329-6836-1000181.php?aid=57624

This has been posted somewhere on the board before...I know I have read it before. Very interesting and seems to support the fact that names are crap now and even major categories like Sativa and Indica are really not clear cut.

Its basic marketing, people believe what they want you just need to help them along. Works in religions, politics and drug sales. look at big big Pharmas "life saving drugs" and the recent elections.

 

[herbivore21]

The Weed You're Smoking Might Not Be What You Think
In both the legal and illegal cannabis market, the type — or "strain" — of marijuana has taken on great significance for consumers. As the logic goes, if you're looking for a specific type of high or medical benefit: there's a strain for that.

But recent research has raised questions about the genetic consistency of strains sold under a variety of names such as Blue Dream, Sour Diesel, or Girl Scout Cookies. It turns out that the same cannabis labels sold at different dispensaries might contain totally different sets of ingredients.

"The way that seeds work in the cannabis world is more like the human population," Mowgli Holmes, chief scientific officer of the cannabis biotech company Phylos Bioscience, told ATTN:. "Every seed is a unique child from two different parents — and there's just this incredible diversity because the plants spread all around the world and then all of those different varieties came back and recombined into this genetic swirl on the West Coast of the U.S. and in Holland." (cont. Kind of a light weight article but addresses a real issue in MMJ IMO)

I have said this for a few years at least now my friend. If people don't understand that the strain is not going to tell you which chemicals are in a given sample of flowers with any consistency, then they can't possibly understand the following concepts; phenotypes and chemotypes.

For a start: 'Strain' is a term used to classify viruses and such. It is not a botanical classification. The term we are looking for is 'variety'.

The term 'variety' implies that what is being classified still varies and is not uniform. This is true. Within a given variety, there can be many phenotypes (physical expression of the genetics in the plants; that is, the observable properties of the plant as a result of its genetic information), or 'phenos'. Different phenotypes can be extremely different looking, smelling, tasting and most importantly, contain different chemical compounds responsible for the varied traits. Some 'strains' (aka varieties) can have both a purple phenotype and a green or brown phenotype, or a fruity phenotype as well as one that tastes like gas or something quite different to fruit! This is because the genetic heritage, despite being only one part of the final product, can still vary at the genetic level between different seedlings before we even consider other potential influences that change the final flower substantially enough to warrant distinct classification.

Further to this, there are epigenetic influences as well as environmental influences that also must be accounted for in explaining a given sample of flower laid out before you. The same variety and pheno may still give you very different results due to other factors such as methods used during the grow etc.

Of course, different methods of extracting and potential problem variables introduced with different techiques muddy the waters much, much more!

In short, as I've said so often for so long now, lab tests with as much data on the chemotype (actual chemical makeup of the plant) as possible are useful information for cannabis consumers. The name of a 'strain' alone is not enough information to reliably decide on which medicine you should buy.

This is all before we consider some of the problems with provenance of a number of strains/varieties and their purported lineages for scientific classification purposes (this is largely due to prohibition).

 

[VapourHaze]

Always trust the nose.

High cbd is a little trickier tho I guess

 

[Baron23]

Always trust the nose.

High cbd is a little trickier tho I guess

I dunno....I have had at times great looking and great smelling herb that was very blah in actuality.