Cannabis DNA Testing. Is it worth it?
Is Cannabis DNA Testing a Thing?
In a technology-driven world, we should have expected this! That’s right, there is really a DNA test for cannabis compatibility! StrainGenie is the newest buzz in DNA testing services and beyond the novelty of it all, there is some truly useful information in this report.
For instance, it tests for something called Cytochrome P450; a genetic variance that 1 in 5 Caucasian males have which makes them somewhat adversely react to THC. Their livers cannot process THC the way the rest of us can & therefore they have a negative experience with using products that contain THC.
Even though less than 1% of the population experience Psychosis from THC rich cannabis, knowing this before you try cannabis could save you & the world around you a lot of frustration! Even more useful, it breaks down how well you can metabolize both THC & CBD through each ingestion method.
What Information Can be Found With a DNA Test?
The report will forewarn you of genetic markers to watch out for with your health, and give you product suggestions for each symptom, time of day, or mood you are looking to use it for. However, I am sure you are wondering how accurate this report really is… Well here is my personal experience with cannabis & the StrainGenie test.
When I was 35 years old, I was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer that makes my body produce too many platelets. The only treatment for this condition (no cure) is a lifelong regimen of chemotherapy. I felt that I was too young to have to be on a chemotherapy drug for the rest of my life & began seeking alternatives.
When scouring the internet for alternative cures, I found some very intriguing information on cannabis & the apoptotic effect it can have on cancer cells, specifically Leukemic cells. (same family of cancers as mine) I was shocked to learn that the thing that I had secretly used for so long as a recreational form of stress relief could potentially manage my condition, but not the smokable version, the edible one of course. I was excited to get access to medical cannabis here in Illinois. However, the program was brand new & my condition was not on the list of what was approved.
TRIAL AND ERROR
In 2014 I started petitioning the state to expand the conditions on the list so that I could get access. In 2015 I finally became a medical cannabis patient due to a TBI that occurred from an unfortunate car accident. I started my journey into learning about the medical qualities of cannabis & how it could help my migraines & my platelet counts. At first, I ingested high THC concentrate medicine, since this is what I had read about in the Rick Simpson story “Run From The Cure”. However, it was tough to still work & be “high” all day from the medicine. I worked hard to build up my tolerance so that I could take the high doses that I knew I needed to (hopefully) destroy the mutated cells in my body.
After about a year of taking the cannabis oils, my platelets were not that much lower than where I had started. When I was first diagnosed, I was in the 900’s, after 1 year of high THC cannabis use I was in the 800’s. Then one day I met another patient who had brain tumors in her head. She had only been using a high CBD cannabis medicine in the concentrated ingestible form & was having great success killing her cancer.
This blew my mind because everything I had read up until then said that I needed high THC. I then began using a higher ratio of CBD to THC. That was in October of 2017. Since then my platelet counts have come down to the low 600’s and although I am not cured, I am managing my condition without the harmful side effects of chemotherapy.
SAVING TIME AND MONEY
So how does all of this relate to Strain Genie? Well, I had my DNA test done in May of this year (2019). What the report came back with is what had taken me over a year to figure out on my own through a very expensive trial-&-error phase! Everything my StrainGenie report told me just made me say over & over again, “I wish I had this done 2 years ago! It would have saved me so much time & money!”
I hope this helps you with your decision on whether or not you think it would be worth the money to have a cannabis DNA test done. I found it to be very useful & I refer to it often when I am pre-ordering my products online from the dispensary.
Written By- Jessica S. Harshbarger,
Patient, advocate, Educator
