The Science of Cannabis Breeding With Justin Esquivel

In the world of cannabis genetics, science meets art and tradition blends with innovation. Justin Esquivel is the CEO and geneticist at Green Luster Phenos and his journey is a testament to the power of roots—both familial and botanical, from the blueberry fields of Long Island to the cutting edge of cannabis genetics.

As a federally licensed geneticist with a unique approach to breeding, Esquivel offers rare insights into cultivation. In this exclusive interview, we discuss the past, present and future of cannabis breeding through the eyes of a true industry pioneer.

Cannabis Now: How did you get into cannabis?

Justin Esquivel: I started by breeding different crops, including nuts, blueberries and strawberries. I even grafted Japanese maples and propagated blue hydrangeas.

CN: How long were you working with non-cannabis plants before transitioning to cannabis?

JE: About four or five years. I’ve always grown cannabis personally, but I entered the legal space in November 2012.

CN: When did you realize your passion for horticulture and its science?

JE: It was probably with blueberries. They’re a superfruit and my grandfather, who passed away in 2009 from cancer and other health issues, was a big blueberry farmer. He had bushes in his backyard in Bridge Hampton, Long Island, New York, right off Montauk Boulevard.

Seeing him and my dad in the garden influenced me. I love planting a seed, watching it take root and observing its daily growth and structural changes.

CN: Has cannabis always been part of your life, or were you introduced to it later?

JE: It’s always been part of my life. I have OCD and ADHD and I’ve been a nocturnal smoker since middle school. It’s always worked for me.

CN: What’s your go-to flower that you’re enjoying right now?

JE: I use a Crafty vaporizer and love live hash rosin. Currently, I’m vaping some Grand Gelato, a type two strain. As a parent, I appreciate that I can use a type two strain and remain clear-headed and focused. Diesel Dessert and Grand Gelato are my daily go-to strains lately.

CN: Do you rotate through different phenotypes, or do you have a consistent strain that works best for you medically?

JE: I prefer sativas, but strain-wise, it’s been all over the place. One of the first strains I tried was either AK-47 or Punky Lion, a rare one I grew at home.

CN: Do you adhere to the evolving understanding of cannabinoids, terpenes and minor cannabinoids, or do you think the sativa/indica/hybrid classification is here to stay?

JE: There will always be a market for landrace strains, pure sativas, indicas, and hybrids. However, I consider myself a chemovar breeder. We breed for all cannabinoids, such as CBN, CBD, CB, and THC, taking a more medicinal approach to each person’s needs.

CN: Do you work in the industrial hemp seed business or focus more on psychoactive or medical cannabis?

JE: We provide hemp seeds to cultivators globally but don’t process them for fiber or other industrial uses. Our focus is on medicinal, exotic and cannabinoid breeding for consumers.

CN: What’s your take on the future of psychoactive hemp, given the recent DEA letter about THCA?

JE: I think we’re heading towards full legalization. We’ve seen loophole after loophole with various cannabinoids, and I believe they’ll eventually legalize it widely with specific licenses for different types of cultivation.

CN: How common is it to be a federally licensed geneticist?

JE: It’s a relatively small group. Most people with federal licenses are producing hemp rather than breeding. While I’m not the only one, there aren’t many of us operating as breeders with a USDA hemp license who also hold multi-state cannabis cultivation microbusiness licenses. Most federally licensed operators are focused on direct production—producing flower, concentrates, or CBD hemp. Our approach of combining breeding with multi-state cultivation licenses is unique in the industry.

CN: Can you clarify what a type two cannabis strain is?

JE: Cannabis strains are typically categorized into three types:

1. Type one: High THC, low CBD varieties
2. Type three: USDA-compliant varieties with almost non-detectable THC and high CBD
3. Type two: High THC and high CBD

Type two strains have been of huge interest to me. They gained popularity with hemp farmers around 2018, when CBD prices started to plummet. We released our first type two strain, Grangelato and many hemp farmers adopted it.

Initially, in 2018-2019, the concept wasn’t widely discussed or accepted. However, it proved very lucrative as farmers obtained compliant Certificates of Analysis (COAs) from their states for type two crops. We saw hemp farmers investing in new equipment while those focusing on traditional biomass struggled financially. This demonstrated how type two strains were helping farmers navigate the gray areas in the industry.

CN: What are the benefits of type two cannabis for consumers?

JE: The main selling point is that CBD counteracts the psychotropic effects of THC. This means if you experience side effects like dry eyes, dry mouth, munchies or anxiety when smoking, the CBD in type two strains can help counteract these effects. You get a full spectrum benefit of all cannabinoids.

From a grower’s perspective, these strains are more resistant to garden pressures like pests and bacteria. They also tend to produce a more robust terpene profile.

Financially, type two strains offer unique opportunities. For example, our strain Diesel Dessert tests at about 16% THC and 16% CBD. Farmers can harvest this and separate the THC and CBD through chromatography and winterization processes. They can then sell these as two separate SKUs, essentially getting two revenue streams from one crop. This makes type two strains incredibly versatile and profitable.

CN: How is Green Luster’s approach to breeding unique?

JE: At Green Luster Phenos, we practice “plasticity breeding.” While some might say it’s just pest-resistant breeding, our approach is more nuanced. We’re indoor, sealed, cubic-feet growers, focusing on multiple bud sites rather than large yields. We have breeding chambers dialed in for specific regional zones, like Texas or various East Coast locations. This allows us to tailor our breeding to specific environmental conditions.

Our plasticity breeding involves practices like propagating fungus gnat larvae in 35-gallon totes and doing targeted releases. Over about 36 months of breeding, we select genotypes that show high resistance to specific pest pressures. We might also disperse powdery mildew spores in Petri dishes to breed for PM resistance.

This full-spectrum approach allows us to engineer tailored genetics for cannabis growers globally, considering various environmental factors and pest pressures. It’s a comprehensive method that goes beyond simple pest resistance to create genuinely adaptable and resilient strains.

CN: Where do your genetics come from?

JE: Our genetics come from all over the world. We cross exotic genetics from various countries with popular US strains. For example, our Cream 47 strain combines a cut from a family farm in Durango, Mexico, with Oreos, a famous Michigan strain. We also work to preserve and improve older varieties by combining them with new ones.

CN: What is the significance and importance of landrace strains in the industry?

JE: Consumers value landrace strains for their connection to cannabis history and familiar entourage effects. As a breeder and geneticist, I’m interested in their genetic purity. Many advertised landrace strains are diluted, so I go directly to the source for pure forms. This purity is crucial for authentically highlighting specific traits in breeding programs.

CN: Are F1 hybrids the future of cultivation?

JE: I wouldn’t say they’re the future. Some growers prefer varieties without true inbred lines for uniqueness. F1 varieties are great for commercial-scale outdoor operations. We have many F1 varieties ourselves. People are also breeding triploids and experimenting with different cannabis types. There will always be a demand for variety, but I believe tissue culture will ultimately dominate.

CN: Will tissue culture be the primary propagation method for large-scale cultivation?

JE: I think it will be mandated due to issues like hop latent viroid and mosaic virus. We’ve tested seeds and clones across the USA and 82% were positive for hop latent viroid. For commercial operators to ensure sustainability and consistency, they’ll need to implement tissue culture. It’s a no-brainer.

CN: Is tissue culture more capital-intensive than seed or clone strategies?

JE: No, it’s actually cost-effective. Tissue culture has saved us hundreds of thousands in labor costs. We maintain sterile, in vitro tissues that don’t require daily care. They grow in cryo for up to a year before needing maintenance. This allows commercial operators to convert mother rooms into revenue-generating flower production spaces. It’s a game-changer and not expensive to implement.

CN: What percentage of commercial cultivators are using tissue culture today?

JE: Not many. It’s been used in traditional agriculture for years but is new to cannabis. It’s gaining traction due to pathogens like hop latent viroid and mosaic virus. However, I don’t think tissue culture will be the complete standard. We’re also focusing on breeding for homozygosity stabilization using advanced tools like marker-assisted selection, PAR and HPLC.

CN: Do you cater to business owners or home growers?

JE: We’re split evenly between the two. Our genetics are grown in 43 states and 19 countries, soon to be 20 with the Czech Republic. Half of our customers, even internationally, are home growers and half are commercial cultivators.

CN: How do you balance pricing for seeds, considering their potential yield?

JE: Our pricing has never changed. We don’t do promotions or sales, except for veteran discounts. The stable pricing reflects the effort that goes into developing each strain. We’re currently working on strains for release in 2026, which gives you an idea of our planning timeline.

CN: Wow, you’re two, three years out on everything?

JE: That’s how we’ve niched ourselves. We don’t drop strains every few months or even yearly. We’re producing tailored genetics for growers and current market needs. There’s a lot of work, hunting and testing involved. Customers aren’t just paying for seeds; they’re paying for genetics, consistency and trust in our brand.

CN: Is your business focus primarily on the US market, or are international markets gaining attention?

JE: It’s global. I love traveling, meeting different growers, seeing their styles and understanding their challenges. I take that information back and develop unique solutions over 24-36 months. It’s about putting in the effort to create value. As a young entrepreneur with a family, I’m focused on both the present and the legacy we’re building for the future.

CN: How do you incorporate public speaking and education into your business strategy?

JE: It’s core to who I am as a person and entrepreneur. I love educating and speaking to groups of all sizes. The satisfaction comes from people telling me how much they’ve learned. I prefer hands-on, in-person networking over social media interactions. It’s about passion and raising awareness in the industry.

CN: What do you foresee for Green Luster Phenos and the cannabis industry in the next 10 years?

JE: For Green Luster, we’re committed to staying true to our roots. I believe in mastering a niche rather than diversifying too broadly. Our focus will remain on creating tailored, elite, exotic genetics for growers worldwide. We’ll continue to innovate, with a particular emphasis on full-spectrum cannabis terpenes.

For example, we recently developed a strain with no cannabinoids but 7.7% total terpenes, which took nearly 40 months to perfect. The goal was to extract high amounts of terpenes under a hemp license, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in cannabis breeding.

Looking forward, I see branding becoming increasingly crucial in the cannabis industry. Many companies focus solely on the product, the bud, the dispensary or their next SKU. However, I believe brand identity and trust will be the key differentiators.

The cannabis market is likely to evolve similarly to the beer or wine industries, where consumers develop strong brand preferences. In today’s market, where trust is at a premium and quality can be inconsistent, companies that can create and maintain a trusted brand with consistently excellent products will stand out.

For the industry as a whole, I anticipate a shift towards brand specificity. Just as people have their favorite beers or wines, cannabis consumers will gravitate towards brands they trust and enjoy. This trend towards brand loyalty will shape the industry’s future, driving companies to focus not just on their products, but on building lasting relationships with their customers through strong, reliable branding.