So i have been saying subjective . Genetic drift . Or cloning from a clone and clone from another clone will make the thc degrade and if you continue the process the plant will lose its original genetics and go wild . They all look good in veg . Once they flower you will see the difference . Your small grow with only a few plants you may not see a difference and with out testing it fro ma lab that weed may work excellent . Enjoy the article . Basically it says idk and yes there is proof but not proof . More tests need to be done under large numbers Unlocking the Mysteries of ‘Genetic Drift’ | Cannabis Industry Institute
the actual study was done on a Thale Cress flower and assumed the same would be for cannabis The Oxford study called the phenomenon “regenerative mutation.” Some genes would be duplicated in the process, while other genes were deleted from the new clone altogether. However, this study looked at the thale cress plant. And as similar as regenerative mutation and genetic drift may seem, they’re still not the same thing. (2011?)
To minimize possible mutations I maintain a mother plant with 3 strains grafted on it. My mother stay with me for 4-7 years. Many cuttings are taken over the years without the clone to clone threat of decline. 3 strains grafted Bonsai Mom
I have noticed differences between mothers and clones taken from them. Every single time. Call it genetic drift or call it what it most likely is: evolution. The plant is switching off/on genes based on environmental cues. Genomes are in constant read/write mode. Different strains are often the result of the same plant being grown under different conditions.
True, environmental conditions may trigger an evolutionary shift. The environment my mother is maintained in is different from my main grow chamber. The cuttings when growing in the main chamber look nothing like the mother. The entire physiology and structure appears different. The good news is after more than 35 years of growing cannabis my flower crops remain consistent without diminishing returns or pleasure. In my experience the cutting of clone to clone raises the risk of introducing a slow progression of a pathogen. Some vascular plant diseases proliferate very slowly. Vascular diseases slowly plug the the flow the vascular system. In trees it may take 3-5 years for symptoms to show. There is a similar delay when cloning an annual plant for perpetual production. In the case of annuals symptoms may not show until several (generations) of clones have been produced.