OPINION: A name by any other name, cannabis names should reflect chemical expression

When I first started using medical cannabis in 2015, my strain name knowledge was limited to pop culture standouts like Pineapple Express, AK-47 and OG Kush.

After trying a few different strains from my licensed producer (LP), however, what worked best for my particular needs was a 1:1 THC:CBD mix named Penelope and an approximately 20 percent THC indica named Bakerstreet. Each online strain description also listed its street name: Bakerstreet is more popularly known as Hindu Kush and Penelope as CBD Skunk Haze.

 

 

At the time, naming conventions seemed largely dependent on branding and intellectual property decisions of the LP in question, not on staying true to black-market names. In past, there has been no standardization across breeding programs and illicit market names largely reflected the producer’s wishes, from describing physical attributes to clever word play on the anticipated effects.

Name game now plays on a much larger field

In 2019, though, the medical cannabis landscape is far different. Instead of a few dozen LPs, patients now have more than 100 from which to choose. With the addition of new distribution platforms such as Shoppers Drug Mart, which carry products from a variety of producers. That means patients, some of whom may have more than one LP, may be faced with choosing between a CBD Skunk Haze from one producer or a CBD Skunk Haze from another, not necessarily knowing if the two offerings are the same, similar or completely different. Or the reverse may be true: two products have the same genetic background, but different names give no indication to the prospective buyer that that is the case.

BlockStrain Technology Corp., a company out of Vancouver that reports creating the first blockchain-secured, integrated IP tracking platform for the cannabis industry, recently made a big splash, claiming a solution to the problem of strain name integrity. Using blockchain technology, the company looks to provide genetic certification for each strain produced by an LP.

For patients using cannabis, this would allow them to see a lab report about the cannabinoid and terpene content of the product they are considering purchasing, as well as the genetic lineage of the plant itself. By verifying that the strain comes from CBD Skunk Haze parentage, the patient would have assurances that whatever the brand name, the patient will be able to source exactly the product he or she wants.

Trying to standardize individual impact a slippery proposition

What makes cannabis different from other medications is its broad medical properties cannot necessarily easily be standardized; beyond a person’s individual reaction to cannabis use, the plant produces distinct varietals, all with varying degrees of cannabinoid and terpene content, providing for a range of effects.

These varietals, called chemovars or chemotypes, are subject not only to the rules of genetics, but also to the environment in which they were grown. Much like growing strawberries in a greenhouse results in different tasting berries than those grown outdoors, the cannabis plant can produce different levels of cannabinoids and terpenes dictated by growing conditions. When the environment results in changes to the composition of the plant, these different expressions of the same strain are known as phenotypes.

Ryan Lee, founder of Chemovar Health, says that phenotypic expressions of particular strains matter more to patients than strain genetics do. A specific strain is just its chemical make-up, Lee notes, using as an example, Blue Dream, which contains the terpenes myrcene and pinene. Without those two terpenes taking top spot in the composition of a grow, he explains, it’s not going to be Blue Dream.

That said, there can be different expressions of Blue Dream, each with varying levels of myrcene and pinene depending on growing conditions. While black market breeders have traditionally bred for high-THC expression, licensed medical cannabis breeders have more nuanced therapeutic considerations in mind. The ensemble effect, which Dr. Lester Grinspoon argues is the better name for the so-called entourage effect, affects each phenotypic expression differently, suggesting that cannabinoids and terpenes work together to produce the full complement of therapeutic effects.

Thus, the most important consideration for patients, argues Lee, is the chemical composition of the product in question. While providing access to verified strain names might be nice, he suggests, the genetics themselves don’t matter that much.

Tracing genetic lines may have a certain novelty, but is definitely more of a “nice-to-have.” What is more important, I think, is a greater commitment by industry players to simplify for patients the complex chemical data that provides each chemotype and phenotype with its medical properties and range of effects, within Health Canada guidelines. Ultimately, a name doesn’t mean much if it can’t identify the chemical expression of the cannabis plant in a way that patients can understand.

 

Peter Thurley, principal and chief writing officer at Peter Thurley Communications and Consulting Services, has experience speaking on a range of cannabis-related issues and sits on the Board of Directors of Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana.