Dominance Patterns

Dominance patterns in cannabis genetics refer to how traits—morphology, terpene production, cannabinoid ratios, and flowering characteristics—express across generations when plants are crossed. These patterns follow Mendelian inheritance principles, though cannabis genetics remain complex due to polyploidy, epistasis, and phenotypic plasticity. Understanding dominance helps breeders predict offspring traits and stabilize desired characteristics in breeding lines. Some traits show complete dominance, while others display incomplete dominance or co-dominance, affecting how F1, F2, and backcross generations phenotype. Lineage records frequently report parent-to-offspring trait expression, helping breeders make informed selection decisions.

Breeders working in stabilization and hybrid development rely heavily on dominance pattern mapping to identify which traits reliably pass to offspring and which require multiple selection cycles. Documenting dominance relationships accelerates the development of predictable cultivars and helps distinguish phenotypic noise from genotypic stability.