HLVd can severely reduce the potency of cannabis, a process known as “dudding.” And in an industry where potency determines profits, an infection that decreases the strength of weed can decimate its market value.
A Disaster Waiting To Happen?
There is no cure for the viroid, which can ruin entire crops just before they’re ready for harvest. Unlike viruses, viroids have only been detected in plants and don’t infect humans or animals.
Curaleaf Holdings (OTCQX: CURLF), one of the largest producers of weed in the country, has reduced HLVd detection in its crops to minimal levels through testing and so-called clean plant practices that resemble processes used for managing pest and disease.
“We’re making sure we don’t get complacent,” said Matthew Indest, Curaleaf’s technical director of agronomy and plant improvement, per WSJ. “You can be lulled into a sense of confidence if your testing method isn’t as sensitive as it needs to be.”
The Viroid
HLVd, first detected in hops decades ago, is transmitted through contaminated tools, human hands or shared root systems.
In recent years, it has been found in cannabis plants all over the country, as well as in Canada, Europe and Latin America. As the industry grows, so does the risk of HLVd infection, especially among large-scale cannabis farms where it can spread quickly. Some say it kicked off in California after the state legalized medical marijuana in 1996.
What's To Be Done?
Where Is The US Department Of Agriculture?
The viroid situation is being exacerbated by the fact that cannabis is not legal on a federal level, which has essentially left farmers and growers to deal on their own with HLVd - a job normally done by the USDA.
"Simply put, local and federal governments do not treat cannabis farmers like farmers. There is systematic discrimination at the local, state, and federal level," said David Downs, the report’s lead author. "Adult-use cannabis is a top cash crop in states where it’s legal, but that song goes unsung."
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