The process of developing new cannabis strains involves multiple steps. First, breeders must identify a suitable male and female parent plant. These plants should be chosen for their desired traits such as high yields, pest resistance, flavor profiles or cannabinoid content. After choosing the parent plants, breeders will then pollinate them to create hybrid offspring with a combination of genetic traits from each parent plant.
In order to determine which offspring are most successful in terms of trait expression, breeders will select and grow seeds from the initial cross-pollination. Through this process of selection and refinement known as backcrossing, desirable traits can be concentrated over several generations until a stable strain is created that consistently expresses its desired characteristics. Once this happens, the new strain can be propagated for sale to consumers worldwide.