Portland startup maps cannabis genome to protect weed from Monsanto patenting

"You can't patent anything that's been in the public domain longer than a year"
Willamette Week (US)
Saturday, April 23, 2016

cannabis galaxyA Portland biotechnology company has launched a 3-D map that charts the genetic evolution of cannabis genomes, protecting strains like OG Kush from future patent attempts by big agricultural companies such as Monsanto. The startup, Phylos Bioscience, and its chief scientific officer Mowgli Holmes have been talking about mapping weed genes for years. But Phylos finally launched its guide – called the Galaxy. The data collection will also help with patent protection, a legal anxiety that has been leeching onto growers since the first cannabis plant was patented in August 2015.