Unveiling Colombia's medicinal Cannabis sativa treasure trove: Phenotypic and Chemotypic diversity in legal cultivation

Abstract

IntroductionCannabis sativa is a highly versatile plant with a long history of cultivation and domestication. It produces multiple compounds that exert distinct and valuable therapeutic effects by modulating diverse biological systems, including the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Access to standardized, metabolically diverse, and reproducible C. sativa chemotypes and chemovars is essential for physicians to optimize individualized patient treatment and for industries to conduct drug‐discovery campaigns.ObjectiveThis study aimed to characterize and assess the phytochemical diversity of C. sativa chemotypes in diverse ecological regions of Colombia, South America.MethodologyTen cannabinoids and 23 terpenes were measured using liquid and gas chromatography, in addition to other phenotypic traits, in 156 C. sativa plants that were grown in diverse ecological regions in Colombia, a hotspot for global biodiversity.ResultsOur results reveal significant phytochemical diversity in Colombian‐grown C. sativa plants, with four distinct chemotypes based on cannabinoid profile. The significant amount of usually uncommon terpenes suggests that Colombia's environments may have unique capabilities that allow the plant to express these compounds. Colombia's diverse climates offer enormous cultivation potential, making it a key player in both domestic and international medicinal and recreational C. sativa trade.ConclusionThese findings underscore Colombia's capacity to pioneer global C. sativa production diversification, particularly in South America with new emerging markets.