Plant Genetics, and Chemistry     "(including Quality Assurance and Quality Control of Products)

The Biology, Genetics, and Chemistry Track focuses on the foundational sciences underlying cannabis and hemp, including plant genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, metabolomics, and analytical chemistry. Sessions should explore cultivar development, cannabinoid and terpene biosynthesis, chemotype variation, and advances in laboratory methods, as well as quality assurance and quality control approaches that ensure product consistency, safety, and reliability. Emphasis is placed on experimental rigor, validated analytical techniques, and the translation of basic science into reproducible research and product standards.

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Cannabis Breeding - Developing Chemotypes to Address Consumer and Agronomic Traits

The cultivation of cannabis has undergone a transformative shift with the increasing recognition of its potential for medicinal and recreational use, but also as a sustainable raw material. Breeders are playing a pivotal role in selecting and enhancing specific chemotypes to cater to a spectrum of consumer needs, such as therapeutic efficacy, flavor profiles, and desired psychoactive effects. Simultaneously, attention is directed towards optimizing agronomic traits for sustainable cultivation, including resistance to pests and diseases, adaptability to varying environmental conditions, and/or fiber quality. This session highlights methodologies employed in cannabis breeding, encompassing traditional breeding techniques as well as cutting-edge genetic, genomic, and analytical chemistry approaches. In addition to providing a concise overview of the dynamic landscape of cannabis breeding, efforts to characterize the biochemistry underlying key traits will also be featured, thereby highlighting important research to meet diverse market demands, promote sustainable cultivation practices, and contribute to the broader understanding of this versatile plant.

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Ecological and Molecular Mechanisms of Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses in Cannabis Sativa

As production of Cannabis sativa L. continues to expand across understanding how this crop responds to stress at molecular and ecological scales has become increasingly important. While there have been increasing reports of insect pests, pathogens, and as well as abiotic stressors such as drought, temperature extremes, and nutrient imbalances. The ecological and molecular basis of stress responses in C. sativa remains poorly understood. This symposium will focus on the molecular pathways, physiological processes, and ecological interactions that shape stress responses in both hemp (<0.3% THC) and cannabis/marijuana (>0.3% THC). Topics will include stress signaling networks, transcriptomic and metabolomic responses, plant–insect and plant–pathogen interactions, cross-talk between biotic and abiotic stress pathways, and how these responses influence growth, cannabinoid production, and overall plant fitness. Topics will also include ecological context including cultivation systems and environmental variability that modulates these responses. The symposium will bring together researchers across all career stages and sectors to identify critical knowledge gaps and future directions for advancing both fundamental discovery and sustainable production systems.

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From Seed Biology to Industrial Innovation: Integrative Advances in Hemp Seed Science

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seed is a multifunctional agricultural product valued for its protein, oil, fiber, and bioactive components. Despite increasing commercial interest, significant gaps remain in understanding how genetic, biochemical, and environmental factors shape seed composition and influence industrial performance. This session will bring together researchers working across seed biology, protein and lipid chemistry, processing science, and crop improvement to examine integrative strategies for enhancing hemp seed value. Topics will include advances in storage protein and oil biosynthesis, compositional variability across genotypes and environments, structure–function relationships of seed macromolecules, and processing approaches that optimize performance in food, nutraceutical, and bio-based applications. The session will also explore breeding and genomic tools aimed at improving seed quality traits under diverse production systems. By connecting molecular mechanisms with applied innovation, this session aims to position hemp seed as a scientifically robust and economically sustainable crop for next-generation industrial uses.

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Recent Advances in Cannabis Chemistry

Cannabis chemistry has entered an era of unprecedented scientific maturation. What began as an analytical challenge—reliably quantifying cannabinoids in an unregulated commodity—has evolved into a sophisticated, multidisciplinary field intersecting
analytical chemistry, natural products science, pharmacology, materials science, and computational biology. This session sponsored by the Cannabis Chemistry Subdivision (CANN) of the American Chemical Society showcases the breadth and depth of
advances now defining the frontier of cannabis science. Original research presentations, method development reports, regulatory science perspectives, and translational case studies from investigators at all career stages. The session particularly welcomes contributions that bridge traditional disciplinary boundaries and demonstrate the application of mainstream chemical sciences to cannabis-specific challenges. The session will incorporate both traditional oral presentations and moderated panel discussions and is structured around presentations addressing four thematic pillars:

I. Analytical Method Development and Standardization. The first pillar addresses the persistent and consequential challenge of analytical harmonization across cannabis testing laboratories. Despite the proliferation of state-mandated compliance testing
programs, significant inter-laboratory variability continues to undermine confidence in reported results. This section will feature advances in chromatographic methods and spectroscopic techniques as well as how reference material programs are establishing
the metrological infrastructure necessary for measurement traceability, and how organizations such as ASTM International (Committee D37) and AOAC International are advancing consensus-based standard methods.

II. Beyond Cannabinoids: Expanding the Chemical Landscape. Cannabis is among the most chemically complex botanical matrices in commercial use, producing over 500 identified compounds spanning cannabinoids, terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, and
volatile sulfur compounds. This section will explore the broader chemical ecology of the plant and address specialized analytical approaches, the detection and characterization of impurities in hemp-derived cannabinoid products, chiral resolution techniques for novel cannabinoid isomers and stereoisomers, and how untargeted metabolomic approaches are revealing new compound classes.

III. Quality Metrics, Consumer Safety, and Regulatory Science. The third pillar confronts the fundamental question of how “quality” should be defined, measured, and communicated—bridging analytical measurement with regulatory frameworks and public
health outcomes. Presentations will address quality considerations for clinical cannabis research, safety standards for the marketplace, and the assessment of noncannabinoid toxicants and contaminants. This pillar also encompasses policy-facing work examining how analytical data translates into meaningful regulatory standards and how consumer-facing quality metrics can be developed that are scientifically rigorous and commercially informative.

IV. Therapeutic Translation: From Plant Chemistry to Drug Development. The fourth pillar represents the cutting edge of cannabis science: the application of modern drug discovery methodologies—including artificial intelligence, computational chemistry,
and advanced pharmacological screening—to cannabis-derived natural products. This section addresses the complete translational pathway from compound identification through formulation and clinical development, with emphasis on medicinal chemistry approaches to optimizing botanical drug candidates, as well as the pharmacokinetics of cannabinoid delivery via multiple routes of administration, including evaluation of exhaled breath condensate as a bioanalytical matrix. This pillar also examines the regulatory pathway considerations for botanical drug development through FDA mechanisms.

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Sex Determination and Sexual Plasticity in Cannabis: From Chromosomes to Commercial Applications

Cannabis sativa is a dioecious species with distinct male and female individuals. Male and female flowers differ markedly in structure; each comprises a reduced flower specialized for pollen or seed production. Sex determination is governed by an XY chromosomal system; however, sexual phenotype is remarkably plastic. Environmental and hormonal applications can induce male flowers on genetically female plants and vice versa, revealing an unusual flexibility between chromosomal sex and floral identity. The molecular mechanisms of sex determination remain elusive. Recent years have witnessed an explosion of interest in cannabis sex determination and the gene regulatory networks governing floral organ specification. Multiple laboratories have deployed cutting-edge genomics and transcriptomics approaches, including population-scale analyses and cross-species comparisons, generating transformative insights into Y-chromosome function, gene regulatory networks, hormonal signaling pathways, and the evolution of dioecy. Emerging data reveal complex interactions between environmental cues and chromatin-based regulation that collectively shape sexual fate. This topic holds exceptional scientific merit, addressing fundamental questions in plant developmental biology, sex chromosome evolution, and epigenetic inheritance, while carrying immediate commercial relevance. Understanding and manipulating sex expression is critical for controlling pollination and developing stable monoecious or feminized cultivars for industrial hemp and pharmaceutical applications. This session brings together researchers investigating sex determination in cannabis, covering sex chromosome biology, developmental regulation, environmental effects, and evolutionary perspectives. Understanding sex expression has direct commercial relevance for crop uniformity, cannabinoid production, and breeding strategies. By integrating fundamental and applied research, this session will attract a broad audience spanning plant biology, agriculture, and cannabis science.
 

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