A cannabis breeder’s job now is to grow the seeds of the new strain into plants and select the best one to take to market—this is called pheno-hunting. The breeder is looking for the best version, or best expression, of the new strain.
Some of the phenotypes might smell great but not look great; some may taste and look great but not be very potent; some may be susceptible to bugs or not yield very much; and so on. The breeder wants to find the particular phenotype that combines all of the best traits of the new strain.
Pheno-hunting often takes a few generations to pick the best version of a strain. For example, a breeder might start by growing ten seeds into plants and pick the best five; then those five are grown again and whittled down to three; and then those are grown and whittled down to the final phenotype. Each generation of growing can take months, so pheno-hunting and breeding a new strain in general usually takes several months—or even years.
Once a breeder has selected the phenotype with the best traits, they will mass produce it, and that version of the new strain will go to market and ends up on the dispensary shelf.