A chemotaxonomic analysis of cannabinoid variation in Cannabis (Cannabaceae).

Cannabinoids are important chemotaxonomic markers unique to Cannabis. Previous studies show that a plant's dry-weight ratio of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cannabidiol (CBD) can be assigned to one of three chemotypes and that alleles B(D) and B(T) encode alloenzymes that catalyze the conversion of cannabigerol to CBD and THC, respectively. In the present study, the frequencies of B(D) and B(T) in sample populations of 157 Cannabis accessions were determined from CBD and THC banding patterns, visualized by starch gel electrophoresis. Gas chromatography was used to quantify cannabinoid levels in 96 of the same accessions. The data were interpreted with respect to previous analyses of genetic and morphological variation in the same germplasm collection. Two biotypes (infraspecific taxa of unassigned rank) of C. sativa and four biotypes of C. indica were recognized. Mean THC levels and the frequency of B(T) were significantly higher in C. indica than C. sativa. The proportion of high THC/CBD chemotype plants in most accessions assigned to C. sativa was <25% and in most accessions assigned to C. indica was >25%. Plants with relatively high levels of tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) and/or cannabidivarin (CBDV) were common only in C. indica. This study supports a two-species concept of Cannabis.

[1]  M. G. Rowan,et al.  Cannabinoid patterns in seedlings of Cannabis sativa L. and their use in the determination of chemical race , 1977, The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology.

[2]  N. Doorenbos,et al.  CULTIVATION, EXTRACTION, AND ANALYSIS OF CANNABIS SATIVA L. * , 1971 .

[3]  F. Eeuwijk,et al.  Characterisation of Cannabis accessions with regard to cannabinoid content in relation to other plant characters , 2004, Euphytica.

[4]  A. Teramura,et al.  UV‐B RADIATION EFFECTS ON PHOTOSYNTHESIS, GROWTH and CANNABINOID PRODUCTION OF TWO Cannabis sativa CHEMOTYPES , 1987, Photochemistry and photobiology.

[5]  R. W. Jenkins,et al.  The relationship between chemical composition and geographical origin of cannabis. , 1973, Forensic science.

[6]  Arthur Cronquist,et al.  A PRACTICAL AND NATURAL TAXONOMY FOR CANNABIS , 1976 .

[7]  C. Turner,et al.  Constituents of Cannabis sativa L. II. Absence of cannabidiol in an African variant. , 1973, Journal of pharmaceutical sciences.

[8]  John K. Hemphill,et al.  Cannabinoid content of individual plant organs from different geographical strains of Cannabis sativa L. , 1980 .

[9]  E. Abel.  Marihuana, the First Twelve Thousand Years , 1980 .

[10]  S. Mészáros,et al.  Comparative phytochemical study on the cannabinoid composition of the geographical varieties of Cannabis sativa L. under the same conditions. , 1980 .

[11]  J. Hemphill,et al.  QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF CANNABINOIDS IN INDIVIDUAL GLANDULAR TRICHOMES OF CANNABIS SATIVA L. (CANNABACEAE) , 1978 .

[12]  G. Bredemann,et al.  Problems of modern hemp breeding with particular reference to the breeding of varieties of hemp containing little or no hashish , 1956 .

[13]  G. Sharma,et al.  Constituents of Cannabis sativa , 1979 .

[14]  W. A. Gentner,et al.  Responses of Greenhouse-grown Cannabis sativa L. to Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium1 , 1977 .

[15]  S. Morimoto,et al.  Purification and Characterization of Cannabidiolic-acid Synthase from Cannabis sativa L. , 1996, The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

[16]  P. Kaufman,et al.  TRICHOMES OF CANNABIS SATIVA L. (CANNABACEAE) , 1976 .

[17]  G. S. Chopra.  Man and Marijuana , 1969 .

[18]  F. Centini,et al.  Cannabinoid level in the leaves as a tool for the early discrimination of Cannabis chemiovariants. , 1984, Forensic science international.

[19]  C. Turner,et al.  Constituents of Cannabis sativa L. XI: Cannabidiol and cannabichromene in samples of known geographical origin. , 1975, Journal of pharmaceutical sciences.

[20]  A. Maehly,et al.  Cannabinoid content of fifty seized hashish samples. , 1972, Journal of forensic sciences.

[21]  C. Turner,et al.  Chemical analysis of Cannabis sativa of distinct origin. , 1974, Archivos de investigacion medica.

[22]  L. C. Anderson.  Leaf Variation among Cannabis Species from a Controlled Garden , 1980, Botanical Museum leaflets, Harvard University.

[23]  Turner Ce,et al.  Chemical analysis of Cannabis sativa of distinct origin. , 1974 .

[24]  S. Morimoto,et al.  First direct evidence for the mechanism of .DELTA.1-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid biosynthesis , 1995 .

[25]  Karl W. Hillig,et al.  Genetic evidence for speciation in Cannabis (Cannabaceae) , 2005, Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution.

[26]  C. L. Winek.  Some historical aspects of marijuana. , 1977, Clinical toxicology.

[27]  J. McPartland,et al.  Cannabis and Cannabis Extracts: Greater Than the Sum of Their Parts? , 2001 .

[28]  A. Gray.  THE ORIGIN OF CULTIVATED PLANTS. , 1883, Science.

[29]  J. Valle,et al.  Influence of photoperiodism on cannabinoid content of Cannabis sativa L. , 1978, Bulletin on narcotics.

[30]  Oleg V. Grigoriev,et al.  Application of Hempseed (Cannabis sativa L.) Oil in the Treatment of Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Disorders , 2002 .

[31]  P. B. Baker,et al.  Illicitly imported Cannabis products: some physical and chemical features indicative of their origin. , 1980, Bulletin on narcotics.

[32]  F. Korte,et al.  Review of analytical methods for identification and quantification of cannabis products. , 1986, Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP.

[33]  E. Small,et al.  Common cannabinoid phenotypes in 350 stocks of Cannabis. , 1973, Lloydia.

[34]  F. Merkus.  Cannabivarin and Tetrahydrocannabivarin, Two New Constituents of Hashish , 1971, Nature.

[35]  P. S. Fetterman,et al.  Constituents of Cannabis sativa L. I. Propyl homologs of cannabinoids from an Indian variant. , 1972, Journal of pharmaceutical sciences.

[36]  P. M. Zukovskij.  Cultivated Plants and Their Wild Relatives , 1962 .

[37]  I. Bócsa,et al.  Effect of nitrogen on tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) leaves at different positions , 1997 .

[38]  M. Elsohly,et al.  Chromatographic and spectroscopic profiles of Cannabis of different origins: Part I. , 1988, Journal of forensic sciences.

[39]  A. Vogelmann,et al.  Cannabinoid composition in seedlings compared to adult plants of Cannabis sativa , 1988 .

[40]  B. Bohm,et al.  Flavonoid variation in Cannabis L. , 1979 .

[41]  R. Schultes,et al.  The Botany and Chemistry of Hallucinogens , 1974 .

[42]  N. Doorenbos,et al.  Mississippi-grown Cannabis sativa L: preliminary observation on chemical definition of phenotype and variations in tetrahydrocannabinol content versus age, sex, and plant part. , 1971, Journal of pharmaceutical sciences.

[43]  M. Elsohly,et al.  Constituents of Cannabis sativa L. XVII. A review of the natural constituents. , 1980, Journal of natural products.

[44]  R. Schultes,et al.  CANNABIS: AN EXAMPLE OF TAXONOMIC NEGLECT , 1974 .

[45]  Taylor Bj,et al.  Illicitly imported Cannabis products: some physical and chemical features indicative of their origin. , 1980 .

[46]  Taylor Bj,et al.  Variation in the THC content in illicitly imported Cannabis products--Part II. , 1982 .

[47]  S. Morimoto,et al.  Enzymological Evidence for Cannabichromenic Acid Biosynthesis , 1997 .

[48]  F. Bazzaz,et al.  Photosynthesis and cannabinoid content of temperate and tropical populations of Cannabis sativa , 1975 .

[49]  M. Paris,et al.  Determination of chemotypes from the cannabinoids of monecious fibre hemp (Cannabis sativa L.). Possibilities of selection. , 1980 .

[50]  M. Bagatta,et al.  The inheritance of chemical phenotype in Cannabis sativa L. (V): regulation of the propyl-/pentyl cannabinoid ratio, completion of a genetic model , 2016, Euphytica.

[51]  M. Bagatta,et al.  Qualitative and Quantitative Aspects of the Inheritance of Chemical Phenotype in Cannabis , 2003 .

[52]  B. Cabezudo,et al.  ATMOSPHERIC TRANSPORTATION OF MARIHUANA POLLEN FROM NORTH AFRICA TO THE SOUTHWEST OF EUROPE , 1997 .

[53]  E. Small,et al.  Cannabinoid Phenotypes in Cannabis sativa , 1973, Nature.

[54]  W. Emboden.  The genus Cannabis and the correct use of taxonomic categories. , 1981, Journal of psychoactive drugs.

[55]  P. S. Fetterman,et al.  Constituents of Cannabis sativa L. VI. Propyl homologs in samples of known geographical origin. , 1973, Journal of pharmaceutical sciences.

[56]  C. Turner,et al.  Constituents of Cannabis sativa L. 3. Clear and discrete separation of cannabidiol and cannabichromene. , 1973, Journal of pharmaceutical sciences.