| Summary: | Throughout the hundreds of millions of years of co-evolution, plants and microorganisms have established intricate symbiotic and pathogenic relationships. Microbial communities associated with plants are in constant flux and can ultimately determine whether a plant will successfully reproduce or be destroyed by their environment. Inheritance of beneficial microorganisms is an adaptation plants can use to protect germinating seeds against biotic and abiotic stresses as seedlings develop. The interest in <i>Cannabis</i> as a modern crop requires research into effective biocontrol of common fungal pathogens, an area that has seen little research. This study examines the seed-borne endophytes present across 15 accessions of <i>Cannabis</i> grown to seed across Western Canada. Both hemp and marijuana seedlings inherited a closely related group of bioactive endophytic <i>Bacilli.</i> All <i>Cannabis</i> accessions possessed seed-inherited <i>Paenibacillus mobilis</i> with the capacity to solubilize mineral phosphate. Additionally, seeds were found to carry genera of fungal isolates known to be <i>Cannabis</i> pathogens and post-harvest molds: <i>Alternaria</i>, <i>Penicillium</i>, <i>Cladosporium</i>, <i>Chaetomium</i>, <i>Aspergillus</i>, <i>Rhizopus</i>, and <i>Fusarium</i>. Thirteen seed-borne endophytes showed antibiotic activity against <i>Alternaria, Aspergillus, Penicillium,</i> and <i>Fusarium</i>. This study suggests both fungal pathogens and bacterial endophytes that antagonize them are vectored across generations in <i>Cannabis</i> as they compete over this shared niche.
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