Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.), also known as hemp or marijuana, is a plant that has accompanied humanity for millennia (at least twelve thousand years), resulting in a wide range of landraces with multiple uses: medicinal, recreational, industrial (fiber), or nutritional (seeds). However, the complex legal status and the economic importance of cannabis have hindered the collection and study of wild or feral populations in its native distribution area.

Researchers from the CSIC are leading a study that maps the geographical distribution of both cultivated and wild lineages of Cannabis sativa, a plant with a millennia-long history of cultivation and use. This work was made possible thanks to the application of cutting-edge genomic methods, high-performance computing, and the use of natural history collections (herbaria, seed banks), combined with genomic data available in open-access repositories.

“Until now, most genetic studies have focused on modern cultivars, which represent only a small fraction of the species’ total genetic diversity,” explains Dr. Manica Balant, researcher at the Botanical Institute of Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-CMCNB) and first author of the study.

This study provides crucial information on the genetic diversity of both cultivated and wild cannabis, thanks to close collaboration among researchers from across the Eurasian continent (Armenia, Bangladesh, China, Spain, the Netherlands, Hungary, Iran, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Russia) and the use of historical herbarium collections. “Our methodology allowed us to identify three major genetic groups (in Eastern Asia, the Paleotropical region, and the Boreal region). Moreover, we were able to clarify evolutionary relationships at a finer scale within these groups, identifying regional subgroups (e.g., Eurosiberia or the Iranian plateau),” says Dr. Lisa Pokorny, Ramón y Cajal researcher at the Royal Botanical Garden (RJB-CSIC).

These findings offer a solid foundation for future research, contributing to a better understanding of the genetic structure of cannabis, which will facilitate its proper conservation and enable informed decisions regarding its management, sustainable cultivation, and responsible use.

The study has been published in the journal Plants, People, Planet and is available at:

Manica Balant, Daniel Vitales, Zhiqiang Wang, Zoltán Barina, Lin Fu, Tiangang Gao, Teresa Garnatje, Airy Gras, Muhammad Qasim Hayat, Marine Oganesian, Jaume Pellicer, Seyed A. Salami, Alexey P. Seregin, Nina Stepanyan-Gandilyan, Nusrat Sultana, Shagdar Tsooj, Magsar Urgamal, Joan Vallès, Robin van Velzen, & Lisa Pokorny. 2025. Integrating target capture with whole genome sequencing of recent and natural history collections to explain the phylogeography of wild-growing and cultivated cannabis. Plants, People, Planet, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.70043