What does “Cultivar” mean?

A cultivated plant variety. In cannabis it is the accurate term for what is popularly called a strain.

Cultivar in plain English

A cultivated plant variety. In cannabis it is the accurate term for what is popularly called a strain.

Outside a pharmaceutical setting, cultivar naming is unregulated and commercially applied, and the same name can refer to materially different plants.

Names are not used as a basis for prescribing in UK practice. What is prescribed is a preparation with specified, tested content.

Frequently asked questions

What does cultivar mean?

A cultivated plant variety. In cannabis it is the accurate term for what is popularly called a strain.

Sources and further reading

Every factual statement on this page is drawn from the following public sources. Links open in a new tab and are not affiliated with Flora House.

  1. NICE guideline NG144: Cannabis-based medicinal products
  2. NHS: Medical cannabis (and cannabis oils)
  3. MHRA: The supply, manufacture, importation and distribution of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use

Patient guide · Written by the Flora House editorial team · Last reviewed: 8 September 2026