Cafe Botanique: Cannabis sativa

"Cannabis sativa: What genetics tell us about the Devil's lettuce" with Anna Schwabe, M.S., UNC, Greeley Café Botanique is a part of the Botanical Art and Illustration Certificate Program and is open to all. The 30-40 minute talk is followed by a discussion. $5, register at the link to save your seat! Cannabis sativa is a multi-billion dollar crop, and yet, relatively little is understood about genetic relationships among varietals and the wide phenotypic diversity within the species. Decades of prohibition have severely delayed Cannabis research, and, as such, there are large gaps in our scientific understanding of this incredibly important plant. Multiple genetic studies show variation within strains, which is problematic for consumers expecting specific effects. Anna Schwabe, M.S. is a doctoral candidate at the University of Northern Colorado. She has strong connections with Denver Botanic Gardens is not only a graduate of the School of Botanical Art & Illustration, but she is also the former manager of the Research and Conservation genetics lab. Although she wears many hats, she considers herself an evolutionary biologist. Her current research uses a multifaceted approach to determine relationships in Cannabis sativa. Ultimately, she aims to answer questions surrounding variation observed within strains of plants that are largely propagated through cloning.