Cannabis landrace varieties: definition, complete list and preservation

The varieties landrace of cannabis are the original strains, those that have evolved naturally in their geographical regions of origin over centuries, even millennia, without significant artificial selection. These are the genetic ancestors of the entire range of cannabis varieties modern.

The best known to connoisseurs are the Colombian Gold, the Durban Poison or the’Afghan Kush, but the landraces is far more extensive and geographically diverse.

What is a landrace variety?

The term landrace, literally «local breed» in English, designates a plant that has adapted and stabilized genetically in a specific environment over many generations, under the exclusive influence of local conditions: climate, altitude, photoperiod, soil, parasites and the traditional cultivation practices of local populations.

In the context of cannabis, a landrace is a variety that has evolved in its region of origin without crossing with foreign genetics, human intervention being limited to selecting the plants that best meet local needs (robustness, aroma, effect) without ever crossing them with varieties from elsewhere.

The landraces are all believed to have originated in the’Hindu Kush, In the late 19th century, the first human settlements in the world were found in the mountain range between Pakistan and Afghanistan, before dispersing and adapting along the great human migratory and trade routes to Africa, Southeast Asia, Central America and the Caribbean. Each region has produced distinct genetic expressions, shaped by thousands of years of local adaptation.

Landrace, heirloom and IBL: what are the differences?

These three terms are often confused, but refer to distinct realities.

A landrace is a variety that has been cultivated for generations in its region of origin, with no foreign crosses. It is genetically stable but diversified, a population of plants, not a single variety. clone or a fixed lineage.

A heirloom (or «heritage» variety) is a landrace cultivated outside its region of origin, without cross-breeding, but under new environmental conditions. The plants produce phenotypes morphological and biochemical variations due to the new soil, artificial light and humidity, while retaining the basic genetics of the plant. landrace parenting.

A IBL (Inbred Line) is a line stabilized by self-fertilization or repeated sibling crosses to fix specific traits. Some IBLs are derived from landraces, but they have been selected and fixed by the breeders, they are no longer strictly landraces in its original sense.

The source of all modern varieties

The landraces are the genetic source of all modern cannabis varieties. The history of breeding can be summed up as follows: from the 1960s-1970s, explorers, hippies and botanists brought back seeds of landraces from all over the world, notably the «Hippie Trail» travelers who crossed Afghanistan, India and Nepal, and began crossing them in the West to create hybrids with the best characteristics of both parents.

Long-flowering sativas have been crossed with fast-flowering indicas to produce hybrids more suitable for cultivation in temperate latitudes. The aroma profiles of landraces were combined with the power of Central Asian indicas. This genetic interbreeding gave rise to all the varieties we know today: OG Kush, Skunk, Haze, White Widow and their countless descendants.

On the other hand, decades of intensive, power-oriented breeding in THC have considerably depleted the genetic diversity of cannabis grown in the West. Many landraces have disappeared or been crossed so massively that their genetics have become undetectable.

Characteristics of landrace varieties

The landraces have several features in common that distinguish them from modern hybrids.

Balanced cannabinoid profile In contrast to modern varieties bred for maximum THC levels (often 20-30%), the landraces generally have a more balanced profile between THC and CBD, with THC levels often between 10 and 18%. Some landraces Indian or Nepalese plants have THC:CBD ratios close to 1:1.

Complex terpene profiles not selected for their power alone, the landraces have retained a terpene richness that many modern varieties have lost. The terpenes such as myrcene, limonene, pinene and caryophyllene are expressed in combinations unique to each region of origin.

Specific climate adaptation a landrace grown under the same conditions as a northern variety will behave differently: longer flowering cycles, greater sensitivity to cold or excessive humidity. This adaptation is precisely what makes them interesting for the medical and pharmaceutical industries. breeding, but difficult to grow outside their area of origin.

Genetic stability having evolved over generations in a stable environment, the landraces present a high degree of phenotypic homogeneity in their original conditions. Leaving these conditions produces phenotypic variability.

Main landrace varieties by region

Central Asia (Hindu Kush, Afghanistan, Pakistan)

The landraces of this region are indicas pure, adapted to high altitudes and short summers. They are the source of all the region's traditional hashish (Afghani, Charas).

• Afghan Kush the indica reference, the origin of many modern varieties
• Hindu Kush pure indica from the Himalayan foothills, renowned for its abundant resin
• Pakistan Chitral Kush mountain indica with phenotypes that sometimes have purplish leaves

South Asia (India, Nepal)

• Kerala Gold / Indian Coastal Indian sativas, cerebral effects and long flowering time
• Nepalese : landrace predominantly sativa, traditionally used for the production of charas

Southeast Asia

• Thai pure sativa with very long flowering period, highly psychedelic effects and floral/spicy terpene profile
• Lemon Thai Thai phenotype with particularly pronounced lemony aromas

Africa

• Durban Poison Exceptional sativa from South Africa, one of the most potent landraces known
• Malawi Gold pure Malawian sativa, extremely long flowering cycles
• Zamal cannabis varieties endemic to Réunion Island

Caribbean and Jamaica

• Lamb's Bread (also Lamb's Breath): legendary Jamaican sativa, associated with Rastafari culture

Central and South America

• Acapulco Gold a Mexican sativa with high THC levels for a landrace, characteristic golden color
• Colombian Gold Colombian sativa from the Santa Marta mountains, the basis of many Haze hybrids
• Punto Rojo : landrace Colombian with distinctive red pistils
• Panama Red Panamanian sativa from the 1960s-70s, hard to find in its pure state.
• G13 Afghan origins, surrounded by an important mythology

Pacific

• Hawaiian Hawaiian sativa-dominant hybrid with distinctive tropical flavours

Preserving landraces: a current challenge

Standardization of breeding commercialization of a few dozen dominant genetics (OG Kush, Gelato, Runtz and their derivatives) has considerably reduced the genetic diversity of cultivated cannabis. From landraces that have existed for millennia are now threatened with outright extinction, victims of the globalization of cannabis markets.

Organizations such as’IBF (International Breeders Foundation), seed collectors and botanists are working to preserve these original genetics, some in partnership with local communities in the countries of origin. Seed banks such as Ace Seeds or Cannabiogen specialize in collecting and stabilizing landraces authentic.

Scientific interest in landraces is also growing: their cannabinoids and diverse terpenes, unimpoverished by decades of selection for THC, represent a precious genetic reservoir for medical research and the development of new therapeutic varieties.