Cannabis Fun Club in Russia

A new method based on genetic analysis allows one to quickly and confidently distinguish marijuana from regular hemp, which contains almost no psychotropic substances.

In the common consciousness, hemp is considered almost a complete synonym for marijuana. In reality, marijuana, that is, the narcotic raw material, can be obtained from far from every hemp. Like most cultivated plants, hemp (Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica) has many varieties - varieties. Some varieties produce a significant amount of the psychotropic substance tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - they are used to obtain marijuana. Other varieties, although they may contain a very small amount of THC, are unsuitable as raw material for the production of drugs.

Until now, it was only possible to differentiate between narcotic and non-narcotic varieties by conducting a chemical analysis for THC content. However, this substance is not produced in plants constantly, but only at a certain stage of the life cycle. All this makes the separation of hemp varieties so difficult that in some countries where the law prohibits the production and circulation of marijuana, harmless non-narcotic hemp is also banned.

Meanwhile, if we put aside the drug issue, hemp is a very useful agricultural crop, which in some cases can serve as an alternative to cotton as a source of durable natural fiber. This fiber has traditionally been the main raw material for the manufacture of marine ropes. Unlike cotton, hemp does not require the use of pesticides, intensive irrigation, and a hot climate. Therefore, it is well suited for cultivation in mid-latitudes.

It is partly these considerations that motivated scientists from the University of Minnesota, a state that is not considered hot, to develop a new method for recognizing cannabis varieties. With the participation of specialists from the University of California in Sacramento, they analyzed the genomes of three varieties of non-narcotic cannabis and one suitable for drug production. As a result, hundreds of non-overlapping genetic markers were found that allow all four varieties to be distinguished.

The analysis technology itself, called AFLP (Amplified fragment length polymorphism), consists of cutting DNA into many fragments and then stimulating the replication of those that carry the corresponding markers. When there are enough such fragments, they are no longer difficult to identify. Due to the large number of different markers, the variety is determined very reliably.

As the researchers note in their press release, their work will be in demand primarily in countries where the cultivation of non-narcotic varieties of cannabis is permitted (for example, in Russia). However, this is not the only scope of the new method. As information on other varieties is added to the database, it will be possible to determine their places of origin. This will help in determining the routes of illegal drug trafficking.

And over time, the authors of the work dream, it may be possible to obtain a variety of hemp that will not only be completely free of drugs, but will also have external differences from other varieties. Then we can hope that it will be allowed to be grown even in those countries where anti-drug legislation currently prohibits it. For example, the United States does not produce any hemp-based products on its own and is forced to import them. The creation of a new variety would reduce the country's dependence on imports and at the same time provide farmers with a new crop that is useful for cultivation.

Alexander Sergeev