Are you interested in learning to breed new cannabis cultivars? Sign up now for the FREE webinar on July 2, 2025, reviewing the certification course program and content. 

Guest blog by James Loud, author of Cannabis Breeding: The Art and Science of Crafting Distinctive Cultivars

One of the most exciting yet least understood elements of the emerging multi-billion-dollar cannabis industry is the diversity of plant cultivars that define it.

One of the most exciting yet least understood elements of the emerging multi-billion-dollar cannabis industry is the diversity of plant cultivars that define it. Government policies and human demand for mind alteration, therapeutic relief, and raw industrial material have radically shaped the modern plant’s genetic makeup along a dramatically different trajectory than most other agricultural commodities. While crops like corn, wheat, soy, and bananas are cultivated en masse from single cultivars, cannabis consumers demand, expect, and reward diversity. The more humans breed and explore cannabis, the more therapeutic and industrial uses they discover. Research is just beginning to scratch the surface of the full potential that lies within the cannabis genome. 

Nearly a century of prohibition and a politically fraught re-emergence into legal, commercial markets have complicated research to define cultivars. The divide between the cannabis industry and the cannabis community has prevented the widespread adoption of standards based on shared knowledge of cannabis cultivars’ lineage, growing patterns, and effects. There is a financial incentive to withhold knowledge and a compelling need for that knowledge to fuel new development of cultivars for therapeutic and industrial uses. 

Learn how to breed cannabis with my Oaksterdam Course

My Oaksterdam course is a resource that combines science, traditional methodologies, cutting-edge practices, and the culture that has defined the landscape of cannabis genetics so that hobby growers and commercial producers can breed distinctive cultivars that meet market preferences and needs and celebrate the diversity of this versatile plant. 

As a chef and cannabis breeder, I have pursued flavor and uniqueness throughout my two-and-a-half-decade career. I was born in Portland, Oregon, a region heavily influenced by craft culinary and cannabis experiences. My career took me to the San Francisco Bay Area, a region renowned for its international culinary scene and the epicenter of contemporary cannabis culture, where I honed an understanding of rare classic plant genetics and developed an intricate palate for quality and flavor.

My work in the kitchen has been recognized through several awards and media features, including being named San Francisco Chefs’ Association Chef of the Year 2010 and being featured on the cover of Culinarian Magazine. My work in the garden has been recognized through many international awards and competitions, including the induction of my company, Loud Seeds, into the High Times Hall of Fame. 

Beyond the garden and kitchen, I advocate for accessibility and quality across global platforms. As host of the “James Loud Podcast,” I like facilitating informed conversations, bridging the worlds of breeders, plant scientists, musicians, activists, and cannabis aficionados. 

My knowledge, experience, and network have culminated in this course. I recommend you take these courses in order, as the concepts build on each other. 

Breeding cannabis is not just about innovation but also conservation, restoration, and cultural preservation. Many traditional or indigenous cultivars nurtured by generations of growers in various climates and cultures worldwide have been lost or risk being lost in commercialization. These unique genetic resources are critical to cannabis’s rich history and global heritage. Learning the art and science of breeding supports continued discovery and encourages genetic preservation. 

Learning the art and science of breeding supports continued discovery and encourages genetic preservation.

Cultivation skills are essential for breeding great cannabis. This course will not teach readers how to grow cannabis, although many great cultivation resources are mentioned in the text. 

The lucrative potential of the cannabis industry has attracted many new people who are driven by the prospect of substantial profits. While enthusiasm is pivotal, maintaining a vigilant and informed perspective is equally critical, given the prevalence of entities ready to appropriate and capitalize on the efforts of others and those who came before us. Remember, we are mere stewards of this extraordinary plant, protectors of its inherent potency to heal and its capacity to better individuals and, by extension, the world. If blessed with the opportunity to work with this plant, comprehend that you are part of a greater continuum than yourself. Don’t allow profit-driven motives to overshadow this plant’s profound essence and transformative potential. Keep the focus on understanding and preserving the plant’s quality, unique attributes, and therapeutic essence.

My motivation in producing this course is rooted in my passion for the plant and how my experiences and those of the breeders who came before me can guide the cannabis industry in the right direction during this critical transition to legal markets. It is essential to recognize that many qualities that make it exceptional might never have materialized without the stewards who came before us and the underground culture that nurtured cannabis. 

One hundred years from now, we as individuals will be long gone, but cannabis, the work we have done, and hopefully humans, will still be here benefiting from our breeding work. Cannabis is a sacred ancient medicine that we have evolved alongside since the beginning of humanity. I wholeheartedly believe this plant makes people better and the world a better place. #passionforthesacredplant

—James Loud

Are you interested in learning to breed new cannabis cultivars? Sign up now for the FREE webinar on July 2, 2025, reviewing the certification course program and content.