FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
NEW WEST GENETICS’ PRODUCTS
Yes! We currently sell multi-purpose grain-forward and fiber-forward varieties in the NWG ABOUND® family. Our genetics are specialty-bred for mechanical production and are best suited for large-scale production. Best for producers with farm equipment for row cropping: order here
Yes, available now: NWG ABOUND®, a dioecious family of varieties with enhanced CBD. Visit the ABOUND page for more information.
The term autoflower is a Cannabis-specific term defining genotypes insensitive to photoperiod (e.g., day length). Photoperiod-insensitive genetics do not require shortening day lengths to initiate flowering. It is common for “autoflower” advertisements to specify the number of days to flowering and maturity, some in as few as 60 days. However, this is a bit oversimplified as plants use several environmental cues to initiate flowering, including temperature, water availability, and the metabolic state of the plant. These factors can be controlled in indoor production so a crop’s lifecycle can be precisely estimated, but this is obviously not the case under outdoor conditions. The term autoflower should generally refer to genotypes that can flower under increasing day lengths, a characteristic that NWG cultivars possess.
The most significant handicap of feminized seed is chemical feminization – it makes no further seed to multiply. Therefore, it must be reproduced season by season; it’s not scalable. Chemical induction of feminized seed is most appropriate for horticultural, craft-style production of flower products.
A dioecious plant is one where the male and female reproductive systems occur on separate plants. While both plants produce flowers, one plant has male reproductive parts, and the other has female parts. This is unlike a monoecious plant, which has both male and female flowers on the same plant.
NWG’s first products to market are dioecious varieties in the ABOUND family. NWG has also released the first hemp hybrid in the form of the AMPLIFY™ trait. Hemp is ancestrally dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are found on separate plants. NWG has created a genetically skewed ratio of male: female from its ancestral 50:50, up to 100% female, in effect doubling hemp grain and flower production.
WHAT IS NEW WEST GENETICS?
NWG is an innovative breeding and genetics company that creates premium hemp seed for processing partners and farmers. We sell high-quality US-bred hemp seed genetics adapted to current market needs and offer licensing of traits and varieties to international partners.
New West Genetics serves the food, feed, fuel, and fiber markets.
In compliance with the 2014 Federal Farm Bill section 7606, we are registered and licensed with the applicable state departments of agriculture and international agricultural regulatory agencies. NWG Seed lots are certified with AOSCA, state departments of agriculture, and international certifying agencies like Health Canada.
PLANT GENETICS
- The new plant must be novel, meaning it must not have been previously marketed in the country where rights are applied.
- The new plant must be distinct from other available varieties.
- The plants must display homogeneity (uniformity of the stand).
- The trait or traits unique to the new variety must be stable to keep the plant true to type after repeated propagation cycles.
- Well-packaged, clean seed with a label that conforms to federal law.
- Get to know the company. Outlandish claims like 100% feminization, 100% germination, and extremely high or low cannabinoid content should be validated by respectable 3rd party data.
- Proof of stability: Stability means the variety has performed consistently for several generations. Asking for current and parent seed data can help determine if the genetics are stable. Stability is essential for THC content. Well-bred seed should have compliant THC content across at least 2-3 generations.
- AOSCA certified seed: This is 3rd third-party validation that the seed has been grown according to AOSCA Standards to maintain genetic purity. Seed lots that complete the seed certification process qualify for the official “Blue” Certified seed tag.
- Seed that has been bred for your production methods and equipment.
- Seed that has demonstrated performance in your region or has been bred using data-based breeding.
- Understand the market the variety serves. Identify customers for your crop before you plant.
Yes, it’s true! Source seed that has been bred in your region or your specific climate. Alternatively, look for seed bred at your latitude, as the latitudinal gradient is especially important in this species. Though major traits should remain stable, variety performance will vary slightly within a region, especially yield. Importantly, cannabinoid content will not have significant variances, as it is primarily controlled by genetics, not by environment. See FAQ below – What do we know about Cannabinoids? NWG demonstrates this consistently by producing ABOUND seed across regions and can provide third party testing from Departments of Ag.
CANNABINOIDS
Cannabinoids are a subset of terpenophenolics unique to the species C. sativa. There are 80+ known cannabinoids in C. Sativa (Flores-Sanchez and Verpoorte 2008), with the most abundant being Δ9 THC (Δ9 Tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD (Cannabidiol) and CBN (Cannabinol). Several genes controlling these compounds’ biosynthesis from a CBG (Cannabigerol) precursor have been identified (Taura et al. 1996). The amount and type of cannabinoids produced are influenced by both genetic variation among C. sativa plants and environmental conditions (Toth et al. 2021) and (Woods et al. 2021). Cannabinoids are at the highest concentration in the plant’s glandular trichomes; therefore, genes controlling trichome development will also influence the amount of cannabinoids a given plant produces.
In 1988, Devane et al. reported the existence of cannabinoid-binding sites in the human brain. This CB1 receptor was cloned in 1990 and identified as part of the family of G protein-coupled receptors. A second cannabinoid receptor, CB2, was discovered in 1993 (Munro et al. 1993). We now know these two cannabinoid receptors exist in all chordates and evolved hundreds of millions of years ago (Pertwee et al. 2010). The presence of these receptors implies that humans (and other chordates) produce their own compounds that bind to these receptors. Two such endogenous or endocannabinoids have been discovered and characterized. There is currently an ongoing effort to understand which cannabinoids affect which neuropathways; this involves a tremendous team of professionals from multiple disciplines in science.
Flower samples are prepared and submitted POST THRESH, which means the material we test is dried and mechanically threshed, not flower that has been trimmed and gingerly handled. We submit at least ten samples of post-threshed flower each season and select one that is most representative of the average content. Average content post-thresh is a critical factor for large-scale production.
GMO/GE
No, NWG uses traditional plant breeding techniques to create varieties adapted to production in the United States. However, we are incorporating modern sequencing technology and statistical genetic methods to speed up development. This approach allows us to make more informed decisions, thus minimizing the time to market for improved varieties. Ultimately, all stakeholders in the supply chain benefit from higher-yielding hemp carrying value-added traits.
There is no published, reproducible transformation system for getting transgenic events into Cannabis. Some have claimed to have successfully created transgenic Cannabis, but this has yet to be validated independently. More product manufacturers are seeking verification from the non-GMO Project, so the motivation to develop new, transgenic-based products is waning. This is particularly true given that the creation and deregulation of a transgenic event is, on average, a lengthy 13-year regulatory process with costs exceeding $100M. However, there is value in utilizing transgenic tools to validate gene function within the R&D setting.
There are many editing targets of interest in cannabis, including some editing events involving other crops and vegetables. The regulatory path for GE crops is unclear, but it is costly. Many of the GE systems require a transformation system and suffer from the same methodological limitations of transgenics. Even GE systems, which do not require a transgenic delivery system, require a reliable method for generating plants from protoplasts, which is also not a reality today.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the freedom to operate with CRISPR-Cas and other editing methods is uncertain due to litigation around the foundational patents.
THC
THC or tetrahydrocannabinol: the active ingredient in cannabis, giving it its narcotic and psychoactive effects. Thus far, THC is the only cannabinoid proven to provide the user with a “high.” Cannabinoids are found in both high-THC cannabis and low-THC cannabis; THC is one of many.
The species makes an acid version for each cannabinoid –CBDa, THCa, CBGa, etc. Acid forms naturally convert over time into active cannabinoids or can be quickly converted in high heat conditions (typical industry method) –a process called decarboxylation. There is some loss during decarboxylation. The formula for calculating total potential THC is THC + (THCa*.877)=delta 9 THC (Total potential THC). Again, THC (or Delta 9 THC) refers to the cannabinoid post-decarboxylation or total potential THC.
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