CannaForge
Age Verification · Compliance

Are you 21 or older?

CannaForge is a curated, hand-vetted cannabis genetics platform — verified breeders, managed onboarding, and platform-supported fulfillment. By entering, you confirm you are of legal age in your jurisdiction. Seeds are sold for collection where germination is restricted by local law.

Leave
CannaForge
Back to Genetics Guide
Genetics 101

Polyploidy: what triploid and tetraploid cannabis actually are

Bigger leaves, stickier flowers, sterile seeds — the genetics behind the hype.

1 min read2026-05-2612 views

Most cannabis plants are diploid — they have two copies of every chromosome. Polyploid plants carry three (triploid), four (tetraploid), or more. Treating seeds with colchicine or oryzalin can induce polyploidy, and a handful of breeders have built lines around it.

Diploid vs polyploid
Diploid (2n)
  • The default — virtually every commercial seed.
  • Fertile, predictable, and breeds true with the rules in this guide.
  • Normal terpene and resin production.
Polyploid (3n / 4n)
  • Larger leaves and thicker stems.
  • Often sterile (triploids especially) — no seeds, more flower.
  • Resin glands can be larger, but yield gains are modest.

Should you chase polyploid seed?

Related
IBL vs polyhybrid
An IBL is a stable inbred line — predictable, uniform offspring. A polyhybrid is two unstable parents crossed — wildly variable offspring.
Continue exploring CannaForge
Lineage Atlas
Genetics Map · Trait Matrix
Genetic Families
Kush · Haze · OG · Cookies
Verified Breeders
Hand-onboarded directory
Grower Resources
Practical cultivation library