An additional determinant of biological taxonomies concerns the appropriate
theoretical base adopted for classifying living things, especially with regard to
domesticated plants, particularly at or near the species level. As mentioned later,
classification ofC. sativacan be based only on natural genetic relationships, or
based on utilitarian considerations, particularly the ways that biotypes have been
genetically modified for particular purposes.“Evolutionary”and“utilitarian”modes
of classifying may produce identical classifications, somewhat similar classifica-
tions, or divergent classifications. As will be noted, in the case ofCannabis,it
appears that classifications based on either model do not differ significantly, if at all.
However, different classification systems usually produce different nomenclature,
and this is a major source of confusion.
Fig. 1.9 Patterns of geneflow, genetic stabilization, and genetic destabilization among wild and
domesticated biotypes ofCannabis sativa. 1 Humans cultivate selections, principally for stem
fiber, oilseed, and intoxicating resin. 2 Such selections retain their desirable characteristics only if
maintained by stabilizing selection (shown here for simplicity only for selection #1). 3 In recent
times, deliberate hybridization among different selections has generated valuable new hybrids. 4 In
the absence of stabilizing selection, cultivated plants are likely to undergo populational genetic
changes over several generations, that are undesirable agriculturally (degenerative) since the
highly selected characters of interest to humans are usually deleterious to the plants (for simplicity,
such degeneration is shown only for selection #1). 5 Genes from cultivated plants may be released
to the uncultivated gene pool. Selections may escape directly from cultivation and re-establish
populations outside of cultivation, or pollen from cultivated selections may fertilize wild plants. 6
Pollen from uncultivated plants may fertilize a cultivated selection, reducing the desired
characteristics of the latter (for simplicity, this is shown only for selection #1)
1 Classification ofCannabis sativaL. in Relation... 39