SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Taking a partnership approach that encourages sharing the wisdom of personal experience and foments community engagement in tandem with academic rigor and scientific expertise, the Legacy Cannabis Genetics study (LCG) expanded its call for research participants from legacy cannabis researchers.
“This project recognizes communities as the experts,” says Origins Council executive director Genine Coleman.
“Community nominations will be used in the selection of research participants. Stakeholders are welcome to nominate as often as they like. Each nomination will be categorized, anonymized, and placed through the selection process with the project’s Community Advisory Board and research team.”
Research participants will help inform study in three areas: Herbarium Science, Oral Histories, and Ethnography. A collaboration between Cal Poly Humboldt, Origins Council, UC Berkeley, Canndor/LeafWorks and the United Core Alliance, the LCG’s aim is twofold: To document and define California’s cannabis legacy genetics and to explore and support regional stewardship of these genetic resources. At the study’s core is a dedication to developing a model methodology that preserves California’s historic cannabis cultivars while acknowledging and celebrating the hard work done by legally marginalized and often underserved communities. Connecting directly with community members who have this knowledge and experience is key.
“We look forward to this work establishing cultivar definitions that come from the community itself,” explains LeafWorks’ Dr. Eleanor Kuntz, who is overseeing the botanical portions of the project. “Our goal is to help protect cannabis plant diversity. By documenting California’s cannabis diversity through the creation of an herbarium collection, established cultivation communities are acknowledged for and protected in their breeding work.
“No one should ever be able to co-opt their work for profit,” Kuntz adds. “We want to acknowledge and preserve the incredibly difficult efforts that took individuals years to achieve for generations still to come.”
Community Meetings Schedule
Free and open to the public, the LCG’s Community Meetings program invites legacy cannabis pioneers, stakeholders, and future industry leaders to gather to meet with lead researchers, ask questions, and take part in educational presentations, breakout discussions, and demonstrations. Meetings are generally held 1pm-5pm and are supported by local community organizations. Advance registration is recommended.
San Diego • Sun.-Mon., June 15-16
- Supported by United Core Alliance and Council of Equity Advocacy San Diego
- Venue Sherman Heights Community Center, 2258 Island Ave., San Diego
Bay Area • Fri.-Sat., June 20-21
- Note: This event is slated from 11am-3pm
- Supported by United Core Alliance and Equity Trade Network
- Venue Friday: Meadow HQ, 60 13th St., San Francisco
- Venue Saturday: Root’d in the 510 Dispensary, 4444 Telegraph Ave., Oakland
Santa Cruz • Sun.-Mon., June 22-23
- Note: This event is from 2:30-6:30pm on Sunday; 1-5pm on Monday
- Supported by Central California Cannabis Club
- Venue Resource Center for NonViolence, 612 Ocean St., Santa Cruz
Trinity • Fri.-Sat., June 27-28
- Supported by Trinity County Agriculture Alliance
- Venue North Fork Grange Hall, 131 Dutch Creek Road, Junction City
Humboldt • Sun.-Mon., June 29-30
- Supported by Humboldt County Growers Alliance
- Venue Mateel Community Center, 59 Rusk Lane, Redway
About Legacy Cannabis Genetics — People and Their Plants: A Community-Driven Study
Funded by a $2.7 million dollar grant from the California Department of Cannabis Control, the project incorporates public education and Community-Based Participatory Research to implement the standard methods and systems used across agriculture to define, document, and legally protect as intellectual property the individual and collective genetic resources of legacy cannabis breeders and legacy cannabis cultivation communities.
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