How Cannabis Plant Varieties Differ in Their Ability to Survive Cold | Research

The takeaway

Nine Cannabis sativa varieties showed dramatically different abilities to survive freezing, with cold-hardy varieties activating specific genes and epigenetic changes that less hardy varieties could not.

Read this if you are interested in cannabis plant biology, cultivation, or breeding for cold climates.

Three distinct cold tolerance groups across nine varieties

What the researchers found

Researchers tested nine Cannabis sativa varieties for their ability to survive freezing after a cold acclimation period. The varieties fell into three groups based on cold tolerance, with substantial differences in survival.

Cold-hardy varieties accumulated higher levels of cold-regulated (COR) gene transcripts and maintained higher sugar levels throughout cold exposure. They also showed specific epigenetic modifications, including changes in histone acetylation, histone methylation, and DNA methylation at COR gene loci.

When plants were returned to warm conditions (deacclimation), the hardy varieties showed increased DNA methylation at COR genes, suggesting an epigenetic memory mechanism that may help the plant manage repeated cold exposure.

Why it matters

As cannabis cultivation expands to colder climates, understanding the genetic and epigenetic basis of cold tolerance could guide breeding programs for more resilient varieties. This is fundamental plant biology research with agricultural applications.

The numbers in context

9 Cannabis sativa varieties tested; 3 cold tolerance groups identified; epigenetic marks measured: H3K9ac, H3K27me3, methylcytosine; sugar accumulation and COR gene expression tracked

How the study worked

Comparative study of nine Cannabis sativa varieties subjected to cold acclimation treatment. Measured freezing survival in whole-plant tests, soluble sugar accumulation, COR gene transcript levels, and epigenetic marks (H3K9ac, H3K27me3, DNA methylation) at specific loci.

What this study cannot tell us

Controlled laboratory conditions may not perfectly replicate field conditions. The specific varieties studied may not represent the full genetic diversity of Cannabis sativa. Epigenetic mechanisms identified may not be the only factors determining cold tolerance.

How to read the evidence

Controlled plant biology study with detailed molecular analysis, though limited to laboratory conditions and specific varieties.

When this study was published

Published in 2015. Cannabis breeding and agricultural research have expanded substantially since.

The bigger picture

This study reveals that cannabis cold tolerance is regulated by complex interactions between genetics, epigenetics, and environment. The epigenetic memory mechanism could be relevant for breeding programs as cannabis agriculture expands.

Questions still open

Can cold-tolerance traits be bred into high-cannabinoid varieties? Does the epigenetic memory mechanism persist across generations? How do these cold-tolerance mechanisms interact with cannabinoid production?

Common questions

Can cannabis plants survive freezing?

Some varieties can, after a period of cold acclimation. This study found dramatic differences between varieties, with cold-hardy types activating specific genetic and epigenetic programs that protected them from freezing damage.

What does this mean for growing cannabis in cold climates?

It means that variety selection matters significantly for cold-climate cultivation. Breeding programs could potentially combine cold-tolerance traits with desired cannabinoid profiles to create varieties suited for northern growing regions.

Read the original research

Cold acclimation induces distinctive changes in the chromatin state and transcript levels of COR genes in Cannabis sativa varieties with contrasting cold acclimation capacities.

Physiologia plantarum, 155(3), 281-95

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Mayer, Boris F; Ali-Benali, Mohamed Ali; Demone, Jordan; Bertrand, Annick; Charron, Jean-Benoit. (2015). Cold acclimation induces distinctive changes in the chromatin state and transcript levels of COR genes in Cannabis sativa varieties with contrasting cold acclimation capacities.. Physiologia plantarum, 155(3), 281-95. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.12318