In a study titled “Metals and Organic compounds in the Biosynthesis of Cannabinoids: A Chemometric Approach to the Analysis of Cannabis Sativa Samples,” Serbian scientists mapped the relationship of minerals in soil to the synthesis of the various cannabinoid compound content in finished samples of cannabis sativa. “This work is an attempt to recognize correlations between the metal content in the different parts of cannabis sativa and the cannabinoids content…Correlations between metal content in plants and soil, analyzed by chemometric unsupervised methods, highlighted partly their role in the biosynthesis of cannabinoids. It was recognized that the CBN and the psychoactive THC contents are manganese-dependent while the CBD content is iron-dependent.”
Authors concluded that the metal content in the rhizosphere could be an indication of the cannabinoid content. There is a wide variety of potency demonstrated in their numerous examples of the same strain grown under the same controls. It should be noted that the high- THC samples had adequate amounts of manganese and the high-CBD samples had adequate amounts iron. Though the most essential nutrients for any plant to survive and thrive remain nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (N, P, K), this study suggests pushing manganese and iron (Mn, Fe) you introduce to the area surrounding your cannabis roots to potentially maximize your THC and CBD output respectively.