CRISPR genetic scissors used to create mold-resistant cannabis

Israeli start-up CanBreed, which had already announced its intention to genetically modifying cannabis seeds, has announced that it has used the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technique to modify a gene in the Cannabis plant to make it resistant to powdery mildew.

Ido Margalit, CEO of CanBreed, has declared that the company planned to eventually commercialize mold-resistant seeds by the end of 2021. In addition, Ido Margalit said the company would use the technology to modify other genes in the Cannabis plant, which he said would help growers develop uniform disease-resistant plants and pave the way for «industry standardization».

«It's not enough to have stable seed. What the grower needs to see are agronomic characteristics to ensure that he will have a crop of the highest quality and grade, so that he likes to see resistance traits in his products, that the plant can be adapted to a certain growing environment. None of these traits exist in Cannabis,» said Ido Margalit.

Canbreed announced in August that it had signed a licensing agreement with Corteva Agriscience and the Broad Institute from MIT and Harvard to use the gene-editing software.

Israel does not regulate genetically modified plants. In the U.S., most plants modified using CRISPR technology are not considered GM products, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Food and Drug Administration. However, an opinion from the European Court of Justice of 2018 banned CRISPR-edited crops.