Citation

Staginnus C, Zörntlein S, de Meijer E. J. Forensic Sci. 2014; 59(4): 919-926.

Affiliation

Department of Forensic Science, Landeskriminalamt (LKA) Rheinland-Pfalz, Valenciaplatz 1-7, D-55118, Mainz, Germany; Biocentre, University of Frankfurt, Marie-Curie Str. 9, D-60439, Frankfurt, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1556-4029.12448

PMID

24579739

Abstract

Neither absolute THC content nor morphology allows the unequivocal discrimination of fiber cultivars and drug strains of Cannabis sativa L. unequivocally. However, the CBD/THC ratio remains constant throughout the plant's life cycle, is independent of environmental factors, and considered to be controlled by a single locus (B) with two codominant alleles (BT and BD ). The homozygous BT /BT genotype underlies the THC-predominant phenotype, BD /BD is CBD predominant, and an intermediate phenotype is induced by the heterozygous state (BT /BD ). Using PCR-based markers in two segregating populations, we proved that the THCA synthase gene represents the postulated B locus and that specific sequence polymorphisms are absolutely linked either to the THC-predominant or the THC-intermediate chemotype. The absolute linkage provides an excellent reliability of the marker signal in forensic casework. For validation, the species-specific marker system was applied to a large number of casework samples and fiber hemp cultivars.

Language: en