Monday, February 10, 2025

Cannabis domestication goes back 12,000 years, according to study

Cannabis was first domesticated around 12,000 years ago in China, researchers found, after analyzing the genomes of plants from across the world. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, said the genomic history of cannabis domestication had been under-studied compared to other crop species, largely due to legal restrictions. The researchers compiled 110 whole genomes covering the full spectrum of wild-growing feral plants, landraces, historical cultivars, and modern hybrids of plants used for hemp and drug purposes, reports Phys.org. The study said it identified “the time and origin of domestication, post-domestication divergence patterns and present-day genetic diversity”. Cannabis has been used for millennia for textiles and for its medicinal and recreational properties. The current highly specialized hemp and drug varieties are thought to come from selective cultures initiated about 4,000 years ago, optimized for the production of fibres or cannabinoids. The selection led to unbranched, tall hemp plants with more fibre in the main stem, and well-branched, short marijuana plants with more flowers, maximizing resin production.

 

https://phys.org/news/2021-07-cannabis-domesticated-years.html

BIG Media
BIG Media
Our focus is on facts, accurate data, and logical interpretation. Our only agenda is the truth.
spot_img

BIG Wrap

Libya finds two graves with bodies of nearly 50 migrants, refugees

(Al Jazeera Media Network) Libya authorities have uncovered nearly 50 bodies from two mass graves in the country’s southeastern desert, in the latest tragedy...

Sky skimmers – the race to fly satellites at the lowest orbits yet

(BBC News) There is a new race in space, but it is not where you might think. It is happening close to home –...