Breeding can be done artificially and intentionally in a commercial or homegrowing setting. To start, cannabis breeders will select two strains to combine, based on traits such as taste, aroma, potency, effects, yield, ease of growing, and other factors. They’ll pick a female of one strain and a male of another.
A weed breeder will usually put a male and multiple female plants together in a closed room, called a breeding chamber, to contain the pollen and ensure a successful pollination. Pollination can also happen outdoors by keeping the plants close together, as long as there aren’t multiple strains releasing pollen.
Once a female plant is pollinated and grows to maturity, its seeds will be collected and then those seeds will be grown into plants. These new plants will contain the genes of both the female and male plants and are referred to as a cross (from crossbreeding) or a hybrid of the parent plants.