Dept. Of Agriculture Green-Lights THC-Free Hemp: What This Means For U.S. Farmers

In a recent announcement that could shape the future of the U.S. hemp industry, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) declared that a genetically modified hemp plant developed by Growing Together Research Inc. “may be safely grown and bred” in the country.

What Happened

The Fort Wayne, Indiana-based biotech firm engineered this plant to produce lower levels of the cannabinoids THC and cannabichromene (CBC), reported Marijuana Moment.

"We reviewed the modified hemp plant to determine whether it posed an increased plant pest risk as compared to cultivated hemp," said USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). “APHIS found this modified hemp is unlikely to pose an increased plant pest risk compared to other cultivated hemp.”

Earlier this year, Growing Together Research achieved “the first known stable transformation and regeneration of multiple THC-free hemp cultivars.”

How a Biotech Firm Created Low-THC, Low-CBC Hemp

The changes in the genetically engineered hemp are not just focused on reducing THC and CBC levels but are also aimed at boosting the plant’s resistance to the herbicide bialaphos. The company stated that the genes incorporated into the new hemp plants were sourced from multiple donor organisms, including plants, bacteria, a virus, and at least one artificial sequence.

In its USDA submission, Growing Together Research stated that hemp's herbicide resistance shouldn't significantly alter its biology. The APHIS review also looked into whether this new hemp variant might pose a pest risk.

The agency’s review process “examines the plant pests and diseases that are known to be associated with a commodity, identifies those pests that are likely to remain on the commodity upon importation into the United States, and evaluates the mitigations that may be required to avoid, reduce, or eliminate the risk of pest introduction into the United States.”

Consequently, the USDA determined that the modified hemp variant “is not subject to the regulations under 7 CFR part 340,” which oversees the movement of genetically engineered organisms. It might, however, fall under other regulations including permitting or quarantine requirements.

Read the full story at Marijuana Moment

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