Landrace

Definition: A landrace is a cannabis variety that developed in one geographic region over many generations, adapting to its local climate, soil, and the selections of local farmers. Landraces are considered relatively stable and true to type, and many modern strains trace their genetics back to them.

Where Do Landrace Strains Come From?

Landraces grew up in places where cannabis was cultivated for centuries, often for fiber, seed, food, or traditional use. Strains are frequently named for their homeland, which is why you see names tied to regions like Afghanistan, Thailand, Mexico, Colombia, and Jamaica. A large 2021 genomic study found that cannabis was likely first domesticated in East Asia roughly 12,000 years ago, and that Chinese landraces and feral plants are the closest living relatives of that early gene pool.

Why Do Breeders Value Landraces?

Because landraces were shaped by one environment for so long, they tend to pass their traits along consistently. Breeders use them as building blocks for new hybrid strains, mixing a landrace’s aroma, hardiness, or flowering habits with other genetics. Landraces also preserve genetic diversity that can disappear as commercial strains get crossed with each other over and over.

Are Landraces Indica or Sativa?

Growers have traditionally sorted landraces into indica types, often linked to mountainous regions like the Hindu Kush, and sativa types from equatorial areas. Keep in mind that genetic research shows these labels don’t line up neatly with a plant’s DNA, so treat them as rough descriptions rather than hard categories.

Can You Still Find True Landraces?

Some seed collectors and breeders sell landrace or “heirloom” seeds, but true landraces are hard to verify. Many plants sold under landrace names have been crossed with outside genetics over the decades, so their pedigree claims are difficult to confirm.

Related terms: Strains, Phenotype, Indica, Sativa

Sources: Ren et al., Large-scale whole-genome resequencing unravels the domestication history of Cannabis sativa, Science Advances (2021); Sawler et al., The Genetic Structure of Marijuana and Hemp, PLoS ONE (2015).