Cultivar Names, Aliases and Naming Conflicts

Names are labels, not registrations

Most food crops, such as apples and grapes, are vegetatively propagated, so the name usually points to one genetic individual. Cannabis is different. A genetics paper explains that cannabis is wind-pollinated and highly heterozygous (its genes come in varied pairs), and that many drug-type strains are clonally propagated to keep their identity. But strain names are assigned to cannabis plants even when they are grown from seed, so a strain name does not necessarily represent a genetically unique variety. [1]

Another group of researchers pointed out that cannabis is excluded from US Department of Agriculture regulation, and that distinctive cannabis varieties are kept out of registration, which makes them nearly impossible to verify. [2]

That is the root of every naming problem on this page.

Three kinds of naming trouble

Aliases. One plant sold under several names, or a name shortened, respelled or nicknamed. Directory profiles list aliases as aliases and do not treat them as separate cultivars unless a source shows they differ.

Same name, different plant. Different sellers may use the same name for plants that are not close relatives.

Renamed or "new" selections. A cultivar may be crossed again, reselected or renamed, and the new name can drift from the original.

What studies found about duplicates

In a study of marijuana strains, researchers compared samples that shared a name with each other and with differently named samples. In 6 of 17 comparisons (35%), samples were more genetically similar to differently named samples. [1] They also reported that a strain with a reported ancestry of 100% sativa (Jamaican Lambs Bread) was nearly identical (relatedness 0.98) to a reported 100% indica strain from Afghanistan, while noting that a sample mix-up cannot be excluded. [1]

A second study sampled 30 strains from 20 dispensaries or donors in three states. It found genetic inconsistencies within strains, with most strains containing at least one outlier, and said consumers could be given inconsistent products under one name. [2] Eight of the strains were reportedly clone-only, which should mean little to no genetic variation. The authors noted that mutations can build up over generations of cloning, but should not be widespread. [2]

Why duplicates happen

These are the reasons the researchers and authors gave, plus the limits of what we can say:

• Seed lines are not always stable. The authors of the 30-strain study noted that new strains made by crossing are often variable, possibly because seeds are not stabilized enough, and that for many strains the extent of stabilization is uncertain. [2]
• Clandestine history. The first genetics paper said the inaccuracy of reported ancestry likely comes from the mostly clandestine nature of cannabis growing and breeding over the past century. [1]
• Mix-ups and mislabeling. Both studies said errors are possible; one called for them to be documented and corrected when found. [1][2]
• Commercial incentive. We found no readable source measuring how often names are borrowed for sales appeal. This is Proper evidence not found, and we do not claim it.

Names and chemistry

A name does not guarantee similar chemistry either. In a large analysis of commercial samples, many strain names were more chemically consistent than chance, but consistency varied widely between names and was far from ideal. [3] The authors suggested the more consistent names may be those more often attached to clonally propagated cultivars, which is their inference, not a tested result. [3]

How the directory handles names

• The preferred name is the one most often used in the sources we read.
• Aliases are listed with the source that links them.
• A name conflict is stated whenever a source describes more than one plant under a name.
• We do not merge two names unless a source supports it. If we cannot support it, we say so.
• A profile with fewer than two readable sources for its identity and lineage stays unfinished.

For the full method, see How Cultivar Profiles Work. For why lab reports are tied to a batch rather than a name, see Cultivar Names vs Laboratory Profiles.

Safety note

Two products with the same name can differ in composition and in how they affect a person. Never assume a familiar name means a familiar experience. Cannabis can impair judgment and driving; read Cannabis, Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, Teens and Driving and the Cannabis Cultivar Directory overview.