What about strains?

If you've shopped for hemp or cannabis flower, then you've noticed there are a lot of different strains.

While we do the best we can to learn about the ones we carry in the store, nobody knows them all. Some people think there are over 700 strains of cannabis!

That's a good thing. The creation of new strains allows for a wider variety of products, and that can be beneficial for customers who are looking for specific benefits, effects, or experiences.

So how do new strains come into existence?

We're especially interested in this at PhenomWell since THCA came on the market a few months ago. We're currently getting flower from a farm in Colorado that spent a couple of years cross breeding in order to grow a product with high levels of THCA and low levels of Delta-9 THC.

It's a clever workaround for states like North Carolina because Delta-9, above .03%, is illegal. However, flower with high levels of THCA is legally hemp, not cannabis. The THCA converts to the other form when it's decarboxylated (heated).

While all of the strains we carry offer similar major cannabinoid profiles, the minor cannabinoids and terpenes vary, rendering each strain unique.

We try to always keep on hand at least one indica, sativa, and hybrid strain. Indica is known for offering a relaxing effect while sativa can be energizing. We currently have Grape Frosty (indica), Panther (sativa), and MAC (hybrid).

This represents a breakthrough in the industry and we fully expect the proliferation of new, high THCA, low Delta-9 strains to continue.

If you're interested in how new strains get created, here's a great article in Leafly that explains the process of creating new strains in both agriculture and in the natural world.