Genetically engineering marijuana

I have always been interested in the art of breeding marijuana, but when it comes to genetically engineering a marijuana plant, there is almost no information on the topic at all. I had some inspiration several weeks ago, when I heard about a new Species of cabbage created, called the "Scorpion Cabbage". Basically what scientists did, was take the gene that programs poison in scorpion tails and applied it to the cabbage. These genetically modified cabbages produce scorpion poison, and will kill all insects and caterpillars when they attempt to eat the cabbage, But it is not harmful to humans, so we can eat it. I was amazed, taking genes from an animal and crossing it with a plant, Because of a modification, this plant will not need any pesticides or insecticides to grow properly.
There are a lot of marijuana breeders out there, and you always hear about some new strain name being crossed with another strain name created even yet another variety of marijuana, but yet relatively speaking, they are still very similar, no out of this world surprises if you will. I would rather pursue genetically engineering marijuana rather then breeding, creating something completely new. Not to say that I will create a poisonous marijuana plant, but the options are almost endless. Imagine being able to take genes from a tree to create a marijuana plant that would continually grow, produce fruit each year, a marijuana tree that could live for tens of years, of course that is speculation, but why even stick to plant species, we could introduce a gene from an animal to a marijuana plant. I think if I could be successful, I would not be in the business of breeding, but in genetically engineering, creating something out of this world new, now that would sell. What are you guys thoughts, I know this clearly is all speculation, I just got inspiration from hearing about scorpion cabbage. Happy toking

plant breeding is one thing, genetically engineering is a whole other world. Inserting foreign gene sequences into an already viable plant strain has a high failure rate and needs a lot of followup testing and selection. On the other hand companies like Monsanto have managed to develop a bunch of beneficial GMO strains like BT corn, and at the same time a lot of controversy. Problem is its hard to prove that something is safe or not safe until its proven to be NOT safe.

I'd stick with traditional plant breeding.

fuck gmo's also fuck Monsanto...that is all...

Not sure why you would want to genetically modify weed. For the record, theres nothing wrong with GMO.

Edit : http://reason.com/archives/2013/02/22/the-top-five-lies-about-biotech-crops decent posting on the subject

Awesome thred man! +rep.

Someone here posted a link to an interesting article written by a Canadian about the techniques and a few of the implications concerning genetic engineering. It was a fascinating read to say the least! Search for it I'm sure it won't be too hard to find... It was fairly recent. In it they source all the materials needed, however the cannabis genome is far from mapped. Thus it will take much research before substinance comes of the labor. They did offer an interesting insight... When rose horticulteralists found the gene that created double petals they were able to engineer roses with a much more full flower. Cannabis doesn't have petals but all a calyx is is a collection of sepals. If one could isolate a double sepal gene, well you can see the implications.

A first step is to build, borrow or buy a laminar flow hood and learn the art of tissue culture. Once you have mastered this you can accuier the nessisary bacteria (or virus) to infect the callus and deliver the DNA sequence. Along with the DNA a resistance to a poison is passed and often the ability to floresc under a black light. After the callus is infected you put it in a solution with a antibacterial and the aforementioned poison. The callus that lives and goes on to grow have the desired genetic recombination. With the inflorescence one can simply pass a black light over the callus and any that glow are viable.

When I get a bit of free time i was considering building a laminar flow hood and fiddling around with tissue culture while I research what is known of cannabis genes. I am sure there are simple genes that all plants carry than one could try their hand at. Nothing ground breaking but one could gain quit a bit of knowledge for future use! With states legalizing there will soon be money for intense research and I am certain that it will not take long for scientists to find all sorts of cool info for us to utilize in the next ten years!

merkzilla said:

Not sure why you would want to genetically modify weed. For the record, theres nothing wrong with GMO.

Edit : http://reason.com/archives/2013/02/22/the-top-five-lies-about-biotech-crops decent posting on the subject

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agree but how do you prove it is safe to silence the religious?

double roses were NOT developed by injecting bacteria dna into the roses dna. Selection, Mutation, Isolation, Hybridization are the fundamentals of traditional plant breeding which has been ongoing for eons. It works, it has developed 99% of the specialized crops that we have today. Look at the frickin Tomato! Growers have an almost perfect shipping tomato with High disease resistance. Unfortunately they forgot that it also needs to taste good Maybe the next decade.

If thousands of peer reviewed studies don't convince them, then nothing will. These are usually the people who only believe non-peer reviewed studies from the 'science counsel to end *Insert topic of irrational hatred*'

Thats the thing that fascinates me the most about marijuana, its that how little is actually known about the plant. There is still so much information to learn, and with it being illegal in most parts, it makes it difficult to study in a scientific manner. Genetic engineering has helped us a lot to, Scientists took the gene from the pacific salmon and introduced it to Atlantic salmon allowing them to grow incredibly big, 4 to 5 times their original size. Then they took a gene from a fish that could survive very cold waters and introduced that to the Atlantic salmon with the original altered genes and voila!, a genetically engineered giant salmon that can withstand the cold Atlantic oceans, grow massively and not die every season. I also remember hearing a little while ago, scientists found a new way of creating the flu vaccine through the tobacco plant, and its actually a much faster process then using eggs. Playing with genetics can actually help us, Maybe we could find a healing property from a plant or animal and introduce that gene to marijuana. The fact that so little has actually been done attempting to engineer marijuana intrigues me, With it being illegal, these big corporations will not do anything, leaving the opportunities of marijuana engineering almost infinite.

Its quite easy to breed... Get two strains male and female and rub the male plants on the female plants of the opposite strain.

Making it stable is is just more cross breeding between the two females.

I'm Just starting to fawk around with male plants

Purple buds you need to learn how to read CONTEXT. No where did I say the gene for double rose petals was introduced. I said isolated. Do you know what that word means? Double petaled flowers were being bred by the fucking Persians.

Next up, read a fucking book before you stick you foot in your mouth! apparently you have never gone to school or maybe you would have know about mutagenisis or mutation breeding. Mutation breeding uses a bombardment of radeoactive material to create mutation for further breeding. Radiation breeding has produced thousands of useful mutants and a sizable fraction of the world’s crops...including varieties of rice, wheat, barley, pears, peas, cotton, peppermint, sunflowers, peanuts, grapefruit, sesame, bananas, cassava and sorghum. Sorry, your a bit behind the times!

I love how your example of long and hard breeding is the long shelf life and tasteless tomato... The flavor savor tomato was the first commercially available genetically modified food. It was discontinued because of the lack of taste reported. You're just a regular old genius, aren't you!

merkzilla said:

Not sure why you would want to genetically modify weed. For the record, theres nothing wrong with GMO.

Edit : http://reason.com/archives/2013/02/22/the-top-five-lies-about-biotech-crops decent posting on the subject

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Yep, it is another lie perpetuated by the greenie wackos, and, I like Monsanto products. There is no truth that they wish or will ever take over the seed source of the world. That is plain fear-mongering.

Great article!

Uncle Ben said:

Yep, it is another lie perpetuated by the greenie wackos, and, I like Monsanto products. There is no truth that they wish or will ever take over the seed source of the world. That is plain fear-mongering.

Great article!

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Which Monsanto products do you like UB?

So maybe you could insert corn genes into a the marijuana genome so you could create popcorn that would get you high while at the same time satisfying your munchies.

merkzilla said:

Not sure why you would want to genetically modify weed. For the record, theres nothing wrong with GMO.

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Cannashrooms?

Kervork said:

So maybe you could insert corn genes into a the marijuana genome so you could create popcorn that would get you high while at the same time satisfying your munchies.

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Right on, while you secure funding and scientists for that little project I'll use butter in the mean time.

Kervork said:

So maybe you could insert corn genes into a the marijuana genome so you could create popcorn that would get you high while at the same time satisfying your munchies.

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thc wouldn't survive the popping of the corn it would be some sleepy ass popcorn.

What makes you so sure GM food is safe? Because the lying corrupt turds who condone steroids n hormones in cattle n poultry tell you so?

My only issue with GMO foods is that it seems to be killing the bee population.

Baker Creek's 2013 catalog has a nice article about GMOs in it. I tried to upload the 2 page article but it's too big.

Genetic Engineering is not right in my humble opinion and in the end I ll pass on it if done . I could care less about its possibilities , the plant itself offers endless possibilities already and is a true miracle of nature verses a man made pseudo miracle ..

I keep my own seed stock (NON GMO ) for foods and herbs that I grow and I will continue to keep the natural order here as it was intended by Mother Nature ..