Cannabis Plant Genetics Mapped

Cannabis Plant Genetics Mapped

Posted on January 6, 2012

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In 2011 we saw cannabis all over the news. We saw raids, booming industries, more states push for and more doctors taking a stand for legalization. Cannabis has been in use by humans since at least 2737 BCE with Chinese Emperor Shen-Nung recorded prescribing it for a number of ailments.






There are many mysteries and controversies surrounding the cannabis plant. Science has been trying to unravel them for years. In 2011 we had a monumental breakthrough that quite literally could change the course of history.






Kevin McKernan has stacked up a long list of big accomplishments at just 38. He is the owner of Medicinal Genomics with a lab in Amsterdam for researchers to freely study the cannabis plant. Kevin was part of the Human Genome Project for four years. He also worked on a robotic system that could handle He also developed methods to process DNA 100,000 times faster.






With a man who’s resume is that impressive you have to ask yourself why would a guy like that get into the business of studying cannabis. He did work on mapping tumors and after working with doctors and patients started to see that many cancer patients were using cannabis. After looking into cannabis he saw that there was much more to this plant and that it did have medicinal value.



While working with oncologist he found that if you sequence a tumors DNA as well as the patient you will discover the differences which can then become a target for drug therapies. With cannabis being mapped the same theory could apply, instead of using Big Pharma drugs you could use Cannabinoids.



With both the Indica and Cannabis plant genetics mapped science can now start to get a better grasp on how cannabinoids interact with our bodies. When we can successfully target each person illness with specific cannabinoids we will effectively understand the science behind the curing powers of cannabis.






Science will finally be able to confirm what millions have known for thousands of years. Today we know more about THC, the psychoactive ingredient and the CBD, non-psychoactive ingredient and how the synthases of each are the genes that code for an enzyme that helps fold the hydrocarbons into Cannabinoids.



What controls the other 83 cannabinoids and other hundreds of terpenes is still unknown.

Many genes that were bred out in search of higher THC content since the government prohibited cannabis use, will need to be brought back through selective breading.



This is one more step in our fight for legalization. With scientific proof the government will have no choice but to recognize cannabis has medicinal value.



Even the national Cancer Institute briefly posted a page that listed cannabis as a pain reliever and anti-nausea as well as possible anti-tumor effects. The government made them take it down since this has only been proven in cell cultures and rats although it is currently in human clinical trials.



When dealing with chemotherapeutic drugs there is a fine line between killing the tumor and killing the patient. Whats exciting about cannabis is that it is not fatal and very few drug therapies have such a forgiving window.



With all this new data in the coming years we will see our knowledge grow and hopefully result in legalization. It will take all of us making our voices heard, that we should have a natural choice when treating our illnesses. Kevin and his team have posted their findings online for all to look at. Please feel free to share ~ Cherry Girl



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