Genotype

A cannabis plant's genotype is the full set of genes encoded in its DNA, inherited 50% from the seed parent and 50% from the pollen parent. The genotype determines the plant's genetic potential — the maximum THC ceiling, the possible terpene profiles, the range of growth structures and flowering times it could express. However, the plant's actual realized traits (phenotype) depend on how that genotype interacts with environmental factors during growth: light intensity, spectrum, temperature, humidity, nutrient availability, water quality, and stress events. Two seeds with identical genotypes (true sister seeds from the same cross) can produce visibly different plants based on environment, but they cannot exceed the limits set by their shared genetic code — a Northern Lights genotype will never produce 30%+ THC because that potential isn't encoded in its DNA. Genotyping technology has matured significantly: laboratories like Steep Hill, Phylos Bioscience, and Medicinal Genomics offer DNA sequencing services that map a cannabis plant's exact genotype, enabling breeders to verify lineage claims, identify parent strains in unknown samples, and predict the offspring of proposed crosses. Understanding the genotype/phenotype distinction is critical: a strain's reputation is set by its average phenotype expression in skilled hands, but every individual seed represents a unique genotype that will respond to its specific environment in ways the breeder cannot fully predict.