From Gelato to Zkittles, California boasts a number of strains many consider to be their favorites. Now, a state-funded push to analyze the genetic data of various marijuana strains and preserve the California's cannabis cultivation heritage is in progress.

The project, "Legacy Cannabis Genetics: People and Their Plants, a Community-Driven Study," seeks to identify California's cannabis legacy genetics as well as legacy cultivation regions, reported Marijuana Moment citing a California Department of Cannabis Control's (DCC) presentation.

Following a 2022 call by DCC to "identify and preserve the history, value and diversity of California legacy cannabis cultivars and the rich experience of its legacy cultivation community, and enable, enhance and guide the understanding and application of cannabis genetics to the greater body of research and science-based public policy development," a group of academics and a plant genetics company, an organization supporting total cannabis growers and a nonprofit took a stab at it.

So far, the DCC has directed $2.7 million to support the initiative from Origins Council, LeafWorks, the United CORE Alliance and academics at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt and the University of California. The money is part of the DCC's 2023 $20 million grant to 16 academic institutions to fuel cannabis research.

Its main goal is to "legally protect as intellectual property the individual and collective genetic resources of legacy cannabis breeders and legacy cannabis cultivation communities."

The state agency has been holding an annual academic research grant in other areas as well, including cannabis potency, medicinal use of cannabis, prevention of monopolies and health of the cannabis industry.

California's legacy cannabis genetics initiative is set to wrap up in 2026.