"Rasta" - third type of cannabis

[Pinch]

Rasta lends its name to a third type of cannabis

Police and dope smokers know, there are two types of cannabis. Cannabis sativa sativa is mainly used to make hemp, while the indica subspecies is prized for its tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content, which produces the "high". But now Australian researchers have discovered a third type of cannabis, called rasta.

Simon Gilmore of the Canberra Institute of Technology catagorised 196 sample plants according to the DNA in their mitochondria and chloroplasts. The samples included plants grown for drugs and hemp as well as wild varieties from Europe, Asia, Africa, Mexico and Jamaica.

The results showed three distinct "races" of cannabis. In central Asia the THC-rich indica predominated, while in western Europe sativa was more common. In India, south-east Asia, Africa, Mexico and Jamaica the rasta variant predominated. It looks similar to the sativa subspecies, but generally contains higher levels of THC.

Since the study was of DNA rather than a formal taxonomic study, Cannabis sativa rasta is not yet an official new subspecies: the name was the result of a competition in Gilmore's lab. Their work is expected to appear in the journal Forensic Science International later this year.




Source: New Scientist
Published: September 20, 2005
Copyright: 200r New Scientist
Contact: info@newscientist.com
Website: Rasta lends its name to a third type of cannabis
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[Haha420]

this is exciting! i love the name too

 

[J842P]

Makes sense.

 

[JuturnaSurvive]

i love this kind of stuff

 

[joohn]

from a previous articel i start i was told that this would be consired to be 4th cus ruderails. so are rude's even consider as a strain or just an adaptation of strain vs. enviornment.

 

[Urdedpal]

I do not agree with this info.

 

[J842P]

I do not agree with this info.

Could you expand on this?
It would seem to make sense. Europe and North America grew cannabis mostly for industrial use, the other parts of the world grew cannabis more for its psychoactive properties (India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latinamerica, Caribbean etc.
I am far from an expert though.

 

[Haha420]

is this the only article on the subject?

 

[JuturnaSurvive]

still lovin it

 

[Bud Dancer]

wow thats kinda wild! I remember when I smoked some durban poison that was some good kill! that came to mind when I read the article.

 

[Pinch]

is this the only article on the subject?

So far as I've seen.. and I keep pretty good track of marijuana news.

 

[Urdedpal]

DNA research uncovers new cannabis strain


Researchers in the ACT appear to have found a previously unidentified type of cannabis plant which they have dubbed 'rasta'.

There are currently thought to be only two types of cannabis, one prized for its rope-making qualities, the other cultivated for its drug properties.

New Scientist reports that Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) scientists categorised almost 200 cannabis plants according to their DNA.

CIT spokesman Simon Gilmore says he and colleagues at the institute's Centre for Forensic Science appear to have uncovered another sub-species of the plant.

'Rasta' is not dissimilar to the sativa sub-species but New Scientist reports that it contains more THC, certainly more than the indica sub-species that is used for rope-making.

Mr Gilmore says it could be an ancient line they have identified through DNA.

"What we might be uncovering is really an ancient relationship," he said.

"Cannabis has been used a lot by humans in the last few thousand years and while we have a signature that there might have been three different types of cannabis, what could have happened with human cross-breeding [is] that those distinctions could have been lost by now.

"Three different mitochondrial DNA types in the cannabis that's grown these days, it might imply that cannabis had been domesticated on three separate occasions.

"It seems the first use was for food - cannabis seeds are highly nutritious apparently but not all that tasty."

Mr Gilmore says the object of studying 200 plants was to find markers to track the origins of illegal cannabis.

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Rasta lends its name to a
third type of cannabis

AS POLICE and dope smokers know, there are two types of cannabis. Cannabis sativa sativa is mainly used to make hemp, while the indica subspecies is prized for its tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content, which produces the "high". But now Australian researchers have discovered a third type of cannabis, called rasta.

Simon Gilmore of the Canberra Institute of Technology catagorised 196 sample plants according to the DNA in their mitochondria and chloroplasts. The samples included plants grown for drugs and hemp as well as wild varieties from Europe, Asia, Africa, Mexico and Jamaica.

The results showed three distinct "races" of cannabis. In central Asia the THC-rich indica predominated, while in western Europe sativa was more common. In India, south-east Asia, Africa, Mexico and Jamaica the rasta variant predominated. It looks similar to the sativa subspecies, but generally contains higher levels of THC.

Since the study was of DNA rather than a formal taxonomic study, Cannabis sativa rasta is not yet an official new subspecies: the name was the result of a competition in Gilmore's lab. Their work is expected to appear in the journal Forensic Science International later this year.

'Rasta' is not dissimilar to the sativa sub-species but New Scientist reports that it contains more THC, certainly more than the indica sub-species that is used for rope-making.

AS POLICE and dope smokers know, there are two types of cannabis. Cannabis sativa sativa is mainly used to make hemp, while the indica subspecies is prized for its tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content, which produces the "high". But now Australian researchers have discovered a third type of cannabis, called rasta..

See the contradiction?

 

[Brushtail]

ruderalis is classed as hemp, little to no thc content and s has auto flowering tendacys. This new "rasta" class is what exactly? a potent sativa ? no need for a new class of cannabis.

 

[Urdedpal]

Because of the the hybrids, they are now classified as marijuana.
LowRiders are not hemp and there are now many types.

ruderalis is classed as hemp, little to no thc content and s has auto flowering tendacys. This new "rasta" class is what exactly? a potent sativa ? no need for a new class of cannabis.

 

[SmokeSessions]

Um, someone up there is totally wrong. Sativa is NOT hemp!!! There's indica, Sativa, and rutaralis (sp?). Rutaralis auto flowers EVEN in 24 hr light. Indica traditionally produces bushy plants and a heavy stone, like a couch-lock stone! While Sativa's usually are taller and thinner, and cause a high, rather than a stone.

understand?

Hemp is the MALE plant!!

 

[Haha420]

all i know is you never know what theyll do next