American Company Develops 3D Tool to Find Similar Cannabis Strains
The American company Confident Cannabis has developed a 3D modeling-based tool to help users find cannabis strains with similar or different chemical compositions. This tool allows users to search for strains that are chemically alike or distinct from each other.
How Are Cannabis Strains Traditionally Classified?
Cannabis strains are usually classified by type (sativa, indica, and hybrid) and by name, such as Purple Kush or Sour Diesel. However, due to chemical differences, a strain like Purple Haze might be classified as an indica by one seed bank and as a sativa by another. The traditional classification by type is not always accurate, since many strains have unique cannabinoid and terpene profiles. Generally, indica strains are known for their relaxing effects, sativas for their energizing effects, and hybrids for a balance of both. However, this system does not fully reflect the wide range of effects that depend on the plant’s chemical makeup.
A New Approach: Classifying by Chemical Composition
To address this, Confident Cannabis staff proposed classifying cannabis strains based on their cannabinoid and terpene concentrations. They studied several thousand different strains and visualized the results as a 3D model made up of colored circles. The distance between the circles represents how similar or different the strains are chemically—the farther apart, the more different; the closer together, the more similar. When considering only chemical composition, indica and sativa strains can sometimes be more similar than expected.
The 3D Model by Confident Cannabis
Confident Cannabis director Steve Albarran claims that their method of classifying cannabis strains is the most functional for consumers, as it allows users to sort strains by effects rather than relying on the often misleading labels of “indica,” “sativa,” or “hybrid.” Jake Pasternak, head of the cannabis company Binske, noted that the only reason for the traditional classification is to make it easier for consumers, especially beginners, to choose suitable strains.
How to Find Similar Cannabis Strains
The Confident Cannabis tool features a user-friendly interface and fast performance. To use it, simply:
- Go to the company’s website.
- Open the menu and select the “Search Strains” option.
- Enter the strain name, such as Wedding Cake, and choose your location.
The tool will display lines connecting the selected strain to others with similar chemical compositions. For example, strains like Kimbo Kush and Super Glue are chemically similar to Wedding Cake. The list of available locations includes only U.S. states where cannabis is legal. Each strain’s description includes a graphical representation of its cannabinoid and terpene concentrations.
Color Coding in the 3D Model
- Green and turquoise circles: THC-dominant strains
- Dark blue: Balanced strains
- Purple and pink: CBD-dominant strains
- Orange: Strains high in tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV)
Information on Cannabis Strains
The database contains information on 5,496 cannabis strains. Users can sort them by type (indica or sativa) and by cultivation method (indoor, outdoor, or greenhouse). The developers also added the ability to display only certain parts of the model, called “regions,” which are groups of strains with similar chemical compositions.