Officials in Hawaii have revealed that nearly half of all the industrial hemp that was grown in the state last year couldn’t be used because the plants had higher than permitted levels of THC.
The Hawaii Department of Agriculture said that 18 crops had to be destroyed because they were found to have elevated THC levels while four crops which tested slightly above the 0.3 THC limit were cleared to be used by processors.
This high rate of crop rejection highlights the challenges that hemp farmers have to contend with as they grow the plants at this time when hemp cultivation is still in its infancy and a lot of experiments are still being done to shed light on how best this lucrative commercial crop can be grown.
Shelly Choy, the hemp program coordinator at the Hawaii Department of Agriculture admitted that it is very hard to grow hemp whose THC level is less than 0.3 percent due to the unique photoperiod (number of daylight hours) and climate of the state.
Choy added that the hemp strains which can produce buds with high CBD concentrations also tend to have relatively higher levels of THC than would be desirable for this crop which walks a legal tightrope in which it is very easy for hemp to be called marijuana on the basis of how much THC is found in the plants.
To reduce these risks, Hawaii approved a variety of industrial hemp seeds that could grow well in the state. However, licensed growers were also allowed to source their own seed and ask the department of agriculture to approve those seeds for cultivation in Hawaii.
It isn’t yet clear whether it is the interstate seed sourced by farmers themselves that resulted in higher than acceptable THC levels or the seed specifically developed for Hawaii which failed THC tests for hemp.
Farmers may need to think hard about the risk of crop destruction due to high THC levels in light of the USDA’s announcement that when federal crop insurance becomes available to farmers under the 2018 Farm Bill, only plants whose THC concentration meets the U.S. legal definition of hemp will qualify for that insurance cover.
Researchers are also hard at work to develop hemp varieties which have zero THC concentration in order to avert the losses such as those that the 18 Hawaii hemp farmers have suffered.
Experts believe industry actors like Marijuana Company of America Inc. (OTCQB: MCOA) and Neutra Corp. (OTCQB: NTRR) hope a solution to the THC challenge is found soon by seed developers so that farmers can have a higher chance of earning from their crop.
About HempWire
HempWire (HW) is a dedicated information provider focused on (1) aggregating hemp-related news, (2) issuing HempNewsBreaks designed to update investors on the latest developments in the hemp market, (3) enhancing corporate news releases, (4) providing full-service distribution and social media offerings to public and private client-partners and (5) designing and implementing all-inclusive corporate communication solutions. HW is strategically positioned within the rapidly expanding hemp sector with a team of journalists working to help a growing roster of public and private companies reach a wide audience of investors, consumers and members of the media. We leverage a vast network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets to deliver unparalleled visibility, recognition and content to the hemp industry. HempWire (HW) is where HEMP news, content and information converge.
To receive instant SMS alerts, text HEMPWIRE to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information please visit https://www.hempwire.com
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the HempWire website applicable to all content provided by HW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.hempwire.com/Disclaimer
Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with HW? Ask our Editor
HempWire (HW)
Denver, Colorado
www.hempwire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@HempWire.net
