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What Are Hybrid Cannabis Strains & How Are They Created?

Hybrid cannabis harnesses the traits of two or more cultivars to create one super-charged strain. Learn how hybrids are created, why they're important, and some of the crucial traits growers select when looking to produce new and exciting hybrid varieties.

Cannabis, like other plants, either exists as a pure breed, or as a hybrid mix of strains. As the industry has commercialised, both pure strains and existing hybrids are continually mixed and remixed. These new plants are known as hybrids.

Hybrids are a man-made attempt at customising plants with specific kinds of characteristics usually found in ruderalis, sativa, and indica strains. Successful hybrids inherit the best qualities from their parents.

This is a beginner’s guide to understanding where hybrids come from.

What Kinds Of Hybrid Strains Are There?
Generally, there are four types of strains:
Sativa x sativa: Two different sativa varieties are bred together.
Indica x indica: Two different indica varieties are bred together.
Sativa x indica: A strain described this way is a hybrid with sativa-dominant characteristics. However, it has traits of both varieties of cannabis. It could be a tall plant with purple buds, for example.
Indica x sativa: This variety will have characteristics of both, but is indica-dominant.
In addition, autoflowering hybrids are cultivars which have been mixed somewhere down the line with ruderalis genetics.

Breeding New Cannabis Strains
Breeding any plant involves the same basic process. Cannabis is no different. A female plant must be pollinated with male pollen. This happens naturally. However, in hybrid creation, breeders engage in selective breeding in a controlled environment. In other words, they pick the female plant and male pollen to produce a specific trait or set of them.

Seeds germinated by this process will be first generation hybrids of the male and female parents. Those with the desired traits will be bred again. Once these traits have been produced, breeders will “cube” the strain. In other words, they will breed a child hybrid with a parent strain to reinforce the characteristics. It is usually repeated across three or more generations to stabilise the characteristics.

Cannabis can also be propagated “sexually” or “asexually”. The sexual reproductive process involves combining different parents. However, vegetative methods also include cloning, cuttage, and even division of roots. Asexual reproduction allows the exact same plant to be produced again and again.

Dominant and Recessive Traits
Genetic inheritance describes how the genetic material of the parents (whether cannabis plants or people) is combined and passed on to the progeny. While the offspring will receive material from both parents, specific genes from each one will dominate the expression of individual characteristics.

First detailed by Gregor Mendel during experiments breeding pea plants, the scientist came up with the following three principles of inheritance to determine how traits are passed down from parent stock to the progeny.

Law of dominance
Mendel’s first law of inheritance, the law of dominance, states that offspring only inherit the dominant trait. The suppressed alleles (genes) that don’t show are deemed recessive.
Law of segregation

Mendel’s law of segregation states that each parent plant possesses two alleles, but only one is passed on to the progeny.
Law of independent assortment

This law argues that the inheritance of various genes is an independent process that is not contingent on or associated with the inheritance of other genes.

Until Mendel’s discovery, it was thought that offspring received a “blended” combination of genes from both parents, resulting in the expression of traits “in the middle” of both characteristics, as opposed to dominant and recessive genes.

Complete vs Incomplete Dominance
To understand this concept as it relates to cannabis, as well as the pitfalls of Mendel’s laws, below we introduce the two types of dominance that exist.

Complete dominance: Complete dominance is when the dominant gene completely suppresses the expression of the recessive gene, meaning only the dominant traits show in the resulting phenotype. This theory is in keeping with Mendel’s original studies. In terms of cannabis, we can use colour as a simplified example. If one parent plant features green as the primary colour (dominant) and the other features purple (recessive), according to the rule of complete dominance, this will result in exclusively green plants in the first generation, and mostly green plants with a few purple plants in subsequent generations.

Incomplete dominance: This is when neither gene is dominant, resulting in both dominant and recessive features in the phenotype. Although less common, this results in intermediary traits in the first generation, and subsequent generations, of offspring, which is in opposition to Mendel’s law of dominance and independent assortment. Using our cannabis example from above, the progeny would exhibit a mix of green and purple hues, as opposed to one or the other. As such, Mendel's law of segregation is the only one agreed to be true without exception. The other laws are still valid, but there are inconsistencies.

Landrace Weed and the Cannabis Subspecies
Landrace cannabis is that which has once been domesticated by humans, but has adapted to different geographical regions where it now grows “wild” without human interference (aka open pollination). As such, these strains tend to grow remotely, usually in mountainous areas.

There are three main types of cannabis, which appear as landraces in different regions of the world, and then there are cannabis hybrids:
Indicas: These are short and stubby strains with heavy resin production and dense buds. Certain landrace indicas, like Kush, contain moderate levels of THC alongside secondary cannabinoids and an abundance of the stoning terpene myrcene. Adapting to harsh, mountainous environments, many landrace indicas are used to breed robust, compact cultivars.
Sativas: Sativas are known for being tall and tree-like, with fluffier buds than indicas. These majestic strains hail from places like Mexico and South Africa. The latter is the home of Durban Poison, a unique strain featuring THC, THCV, and a very strong presence of terpinolene, which gives the strain its unique peppery-herbal flavour.
Ruderalis: This is a low-THC subspecies of cannabis native to Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Its most important trait is that it is not photoperiod dependent, meaning it will flower no matter how much light is present. This is a highly sought-after trait on the commercial market. When you see an autoflowering version of your favourite hybrid, you will know it was achieved by crossing indica or sativa with ruderalis.
Hybrids: Hybrid cannabis strains are the result of humans crossbreeding the above subspecies. A combination of indica, sativa, and/or ruderalis, hybrids exist to highlight specific traits sought after by breeders, growers, and consumers. One of the earliest commercial hybrids is known as Skunk. This may have been the first "mainstream" crossing of an indica and sativa, but it was far from the last.

What Traits Do Breeders Look For?
Certain traits are deemed extremely desirable in a commercial market where clients can afford to be increasingly picky, and where variety is the spice of life. This will continue to be true as the cannabis industry legitimises.

As a result, one thing that most professional breeders are also aware of is the importance of maintaining plant biodiversity. Who wants just one or two strains of cannabis—like, say, the commercial banana (the fruit)?

Below are the most highly sought-after traits in modern weed strains.

Yield
The amount of flowers a cannabis plant can produce comes, minus subpar cultivation conditions, chiefly from its heritage. Indicas, for example, are known for their heavy production of dense buds, and thus are often used to impart superior yield potential to new hybrids. That said, some sativas are also naturally huge producers, but they reach dizzying heights—unless hybridised with an indica strain to retain their yields while lowering their stature.

Potency
In a world that loves extremes, THC concentrations keep getting pushed higher and higher. This is, of course, the result of breeding already-potent strains to exhibit even higher potency. Now, certain hybrids express 25–30% THC or more (including our own Cookies Gelato) in their buds. Nonetheless, THC levels can’t exceed a certain threshold, which is believed to be around 35% by dry weight, as it comes from the same gene as that which is used to create other cannabinoids.

Specific Cannabinoid Content
Aside from pure potency, there is a strong desire for other cannabinoids to be enhanced in cannabis; CBD, THCV, CBDA, and CBG are four examples of cannabinoids that are now appearing in unprecedented concentrations, given recent studies and accounts detailing their potential wellness benefits. With that, human intervention has allowed unique cannabinoid profiles to be experienced that do not exist in landraces.

Today, there are cannabis hybrids with various ratios of THC:CBD to suit your needs. But like THC content, there are limits on the overall cannabinoid content of flower, which means some concessions have to be made during the breeding process.

Effects
The effects of cannabis were once believed to be determined by strain type (indica or sativa), but this is no longer considered accurate. In fact, it is the phytochemical concentration (particularly cannabinoids and terpenes) of a given cultivar that dictates its effects. We know THC is responsible for inducing a high, but it’s the terpenes that colour the experience with different sensations and experiences—e.g. relaxed vs euphoric.
With this in mind, breeders are able to tailor hybrid strains to different consumer preferences.

Energetic and Uplifting
What some would once associate with sativa strains, energetic and uplifting effects can be achieved by creating a hybrid that exhibits medium levels of THC and invigorating terpenes like limonene and pinene. CBD may also be included to give a grounding element to the high.

Relaxing and Couch-Locking
As THC levels begin to increase, and sleepy terpenes like myrcene and linalool are thrown in the mix, the relaxing effect of cannabis is augmented. If you want to experience a physical stone that also clears your mind of worry, hybrid strains with these profiles are a good choice.

Clear-Headed
Choosing CBD (or another non-psychotropic cannabinoid) as the dominant cannabinoid ensures the experience is never overwhelming. CBD-rich cannabis strains are bred to allow users to stay focused and productive while also taking the edge off. Here too, terpenes are used to enhance the effects of the cannabinoids.

Plant Structure
Plant structure is another trait that commercial breeders look to optimise in hybrid cannabis. While huge cannabis trees are beautiful, they’re not ideal for most home growing operations, or commercial ones for that matter. That said, sometimes longer, lankier strains are desired. In any case, plants can be crossbred to display the size and shape that is most desirable, without making huge concessions in the yield department. Such traits include optimal internodal spacing, many bud sites, and strong stems and branches.

Flavour and Aroma
This is a biggie, and also depends on the terpenes found in the plant. Luckily, there are all manner of hybrid weed cultivars with unique aroma and flavour profiles to cater to every preference. Whether you’re after deep and dank or light and fruity, you’ll find a variety to satisfy your needs.

Generally, hybrids are produced to express assertive and dynamic flavours that really hone in on the chocolatey, citrusy, or sweet nature of the buds. On the other end of the spectrum, you have those hybrids that allow users to indulge in pungent, almost off-putting scents and flavour profiles such as cheese and diesel.

These are just a few examples of possible profiles, but it spans much wider than this. Breeders can create strains with notes of eucalyptus, honey, candy, pepper, lavender, mint, blueberry, baked goods—the list goes on. Opposing flavours can even be combined to create something complex and even uncanny; crossing Blueberry and Cheese creates a hybrid that tastes just like blueberry cheesecake—albeit with a THC twist!

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