Open Pollinated

Open pollination refers to a breeding method where cannabis plants naturally cross-fertilize via wind or insect activity, rather than through controlled human intervention. This approach contrasts with closed or controlled pollination, where breeders manually manage which male and female plants mate. Open pollinated populations often develop genetic diversity and may show phenotypic variation across seed batches. While less common in modern commercial cannabis breeding, open pollinated lines are sometimes maintained by heirloom breeders and seed savers interested in preserving historically significant or landraces genetics.

Breeders working with open pollinated genetics study how natural selection pressures shape trait expression across generations. This method can reveal stable traits that persist without deliberate selection, though it typically produces less uniform offspring than controlled crosses.