Cannabis Sativa is one of the oldest and most widespread domesticated plant species. There has been evidence of its use found across five separate continents dating back hundreds or even thousands of years, and it has consistently been used by cultures for religious or spiritual rituals. 

Recently, a full scale sequencing of the cannabis genome revealed these many strains likely emerged from a single ancestor. The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, asserts the first cannabis plant was domesticated in China more than 12,000 years ago. 

The Swiss-based study not only helps researchers better understand the origins of cannabis, but potentially offers new insights into molecular breeding. This might might in turn unlock new, modern applications for the species.

The Data 

Using a wide range of Cannabis strains from different parts of the domestication process, including wild and uncultivated plants, landraces (agriculturally-improved species), and modern hybrids, the research team compiled 110 fully sequenced genomes. The achievement marked the first time one study had compiled this wide a sample size of complete cannabis genome sequences. 

The study notes that researchers used the genetic code to determine, “the time and origin of domestication, post-domestication divergence patterns and present-day genetic diversity”. The team was then able to build a map and timeline that corresponded to each species. 

This map demonstrated that cannabis was cultivated during the early Neolithic times, roughly 12,000 years ago. From there it stayed relatively isolated in the greater China area for the next 8,000 years. Finally, as China began trading more, it spread across the rest of the world via trading routes. It was around this time that cannabis split into the two distinct forms seen today. One species stayed tall and unbranched, with more fiber in the main stem. The other became a short plant with more flowers, to help maximize resin output. From there it split into the thousands of unique strains seen today. But every single one of those strains emerged from this single gene pool. 

In addition to the psychoactive effects, early users took full advantage of the versatility of the plant. They fashioned rope, clothes, textiles — even paper out of the plant. It offered a huge number of applications.

“Our study thus provides new insights into the domestication and global spread of a plant with divergent structural and biochemical products at a time in which there is a resurgence of interest in its use, reflecting changing social attitudes and corresponding challenges to its legal status in many countries,” the study concludes. 

Modern Implications

Today, the wild cannabis species of China are the closest living ancestors to the plant domesticated all those years ago. Most modern species have only a hint of resemblance, as they have largely been cultivated for specific needs. 

It is precisely due to the high levels of crossbreeding that researchers previously found it so difficult to identify the origins of each species. This unprecedented study is an important resource moving forward for a number of fields, including medical and agricultural. These new genetic insights provide the framework for other important research, and may lead to other important discoveries.

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