LeafWorks Launches Cultivar Registration Program

LeafWorks, a female-founded genetics company specializing in identification for the cannabis/hemp and herbal industries, launched the LeafWorks Cultivar Registration program. This is a first-to-market service for the cannabis/hemp industries that enables cultivators and breeders to establish a record of cultivar (“strain”) creation and/or ownership.

As the cannabis/hemp industry transitions from prohibition to regulation, establishing consistent cultivar definitions verifiable through documentation will become increasingly crucial. This program allows cultivators and breeders to define their cannabis/hemp plants and lay claim to their genetics. In collaboration with the Canndor Herbarium, a third-party cannabis/hemp non-profit, it catalogs and preserves physical specimens (“vouchers”) of registered cultivars. Vouchers are a historical and internationally recognized method for validating plant cultivars in other crops. The LeafWorks Cultivar Registration program pairs genetic information and vouchers to create an indisputable record for registered cultivars.

Furthermore, as cannabis/hemp “plant varietal patents” (PVPs) rise in frequency, an established record of ownership through a third-party verifier will be a foundational step towards IP creation and protection.

“The benefits to participate in this program are simple but pivotal: they lay the groundwork for legal protection in the future. Currently, DNA is not required when patenting plants, but they are important supplemental data,” said LeafWorks CEO and Co-Founder Eleanor Kuntz, PhD. “Documentation through a registration process will help everyone know (communities, organizations, and individuals) what they own, and where they stand.”

By taking part in the LeafWorks Cultivar Registration program, registrants enter their cultivar into the LeafWorks Cultivar ID Test database enabling anyone to cross-reference plants or dispensary buds against registered cultivars. The ability to identify a cultivar through its DNA ensures ‘bad actors’ cannot grow a patented cultivar without permission and also provides buyers with a guarantee that products they purchase incorporate the correct cultivar. Moreover, this program is the first step for LeafWorks Supply Chain Certification, which allows registrants to reap the benefits of the LeafWorks-Certification Seal, driving brand equity through increased consumer confidence and transparency. Documenting material with LeafWorks Cultivar Registration program helps cultivators protect IP, communicate the authenticity of cultivars they steward, and build a valuable, reliable brand.