Beer and cannabis could share ‘sex switch’, UCD-lead study find
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Researchers identify genetic “switch” that determines the sex of cannabis plants, and find the same system may exist in hops.
The study, published in New Phytologist, pinpoints a specific section of the X chromosome that influences whether cannabis plants develop as male, female, or both.
“It was known for quite a while that female cannabis plants possess two X chromosomes and male plants carry an X and a Y chromosome, but there are thousands of genes on those chromosomes,” said Associate Professor Rainer Melzer, senior author of the study.
“Which of those genes determines whether a plant becomes male or female was unknown.”
Within a small stretch of DNA, researchers identified three closely linked genes that act together to control both male and female development.
Using genetic mapping, genome sequencing and gene expression analysis, the UCD team, in collaboration with international partners, identified this region, known as Monoecy1, as a major control point for sex expression.
The same key genes were also found in hops, located in a matching region of the X chromosome.
This suggests the genetic “switch” predates the divergence of the two plants around 28 million years ago.
“We were quite surprised when a lot of evidence pointed to a small region on the X chromosome as a key driver of sex determination, because in many other species, including humans, the Y chromosome determines sex,” said Matteo Toscani, a PhD student at UCD and first author of the study.
The findings have practical implications for agriculture, particularly for crops like hops and cannabis where female plants are economically preferred.
In brewing, only female hop plants produce the cones that give beer its aroma and flavour, while in cannabis, female plants are cultivated for cannabinoids such as CBD.
Being able to identify and control plant sex could reduce crop losses and allow growers to reliably produce all-female plants for cannabinoid or hop cone yields, or uniform monoecious crops for fibre production.
The study was funded by Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland and led by researchers at UCD in collaboration with Université Paris-Saclay.
Journal
New Phytologist
Subject of Research
Cells
Article Title
Beer and cannabis could share ‘sex switch’, UCD-lead study finds
Edible cannabis and pain, sleep, and mental health management in older adults
JAMA Network Open
About The Study:
In this qualitative study, older adults were motivated to use cannabis as an alternative approach to address health concerns. These findings highlight the importance of physician awareness of older adults’ motivations and concerns to support informed counseling and resources.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Rebecca K. Delaney, PhD, email rebecca.delaney@hsc.utah.edu.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.11718)
Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.
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About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is an online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication.
Journal
JAMA Network Open
Study reveals why older adults are using cannabis edibles
For adults over 60, cannabis use is increasing faster than in any other demographic.
But science has yet to keep up with why older adults are using cannabis products, which products they choose, and how they make decisions about which products to use.
A new study by researchers from University of Utah Health and University of Colorado Boulder reveals that many older adults start cannabis seeking more effective or non-pharmaceutical options to manage sleep, pain, or mental health, and that many people base their decisions on word of mouth rather than discussions with health care providers.
The results are published in JAMA Network Open.
Many seek more effective options to manage common health conditions
The researchers interviewed 169 adults over 60 who were about to purchase cannabis for the first time to identify common motivations.
“Overall, they really wanted better quality of life, reducing their pain, getting better sleep, and being able to enjoy time with family and friends a little bit more,” says Rebecca Delaney, PhD, assistant professor of population health sciences at U of U Health and first author on the study.
“For the most part, we found that these folks aren’t really interested in getting high. They just want to feel better,” adds Angela Bryan, PhD, professor of psychology and neuroscience at CU Boulder and senior author on the study.
Many participants had heard positive anecdotes about product usefulness from friends or family members, which tended to influence decisions. “They brought a lot of feedback from other people to inform their opinions,” Delaney says. “Word of mouth has a really big impact.”
Discussions with medical providers were rarely part of the picture, suggesting that better informational materials for patients and providers could be needed to drive conversations and help people make informed decisions about their health.
To CBD or to THC, that is the question
Older adults also faced the question of which products to use. Edible cannabis products may contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis), cannabidiol (CBD), or both, and it was unclear what motivated and informed their decisions about which to purchase.
Many people perceived CBD-only products as therapeutically beneficial, which was often driven by anecdotal claims. People tended to perceive THC as offering benefits like improving mood. But most people chose combination products containing both, seeing them as a “Goldilocks option” that gives the best of both worlds.
Toward better decision-making
An important caveat is that the survey was conducted in Colorado, where recreational cannabis is legal. For older adults in Utah and other states where only medical use is permitted, the decision-making process may look different. But Delaney suspects that people’s core motivations—using cannabis to attempt to treat chronic pain, poor sleep, or mental health concerns—are probably the same.
Delaney says that the results help show people’s baseline understanding of using cannabis to address health concerns, providing a foundation to develop better informational tools and clinical support.
“The ultimate goal is to develop resources to help people make decisions and find products that meet their needs, and to figure out how we can distill information to patients and physicians,” Delaney says. “We would really love to see more of these conversations happening between physicians and patients to make sure that people feel supported and informed when seeking alternative ways to address their pain.”
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This research is published in JAMA Network Open as “Edible Cannabis and Pain, Sleep, and Mental Health Management in Older Adults.”
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, including the National Institute of Aging (R01AG066698) and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (1K12TR004413) through the Utah Clinical and Translational Science Institute, as well as the American Heart Association (23SCEFIA1154397) and the University of Utah Office of Undergraduate Research. Content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Journal
JAMA Network Open
Method of Research
Survey
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Edible Cannabis and Pain, Sleep, and Mental Health Management in Older Adults
Article Publication Date
8-May-2026
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