The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has approved a genetically modified hemp plant engineered by Growing Together Research Inc. that has reduced THC and cannabichromene (CBC) levels. The agency said it reviewed the plant to determine whether it posed an increased plant pest risk compared to other varietals.
In its letter to the USDA, Growing Together notes that the plant contains 0% THC, which would reduce farmers’ risk of growing so-called “hot crops” which “creates an economic and regulatory risk to farmers who want to grow hemp.”
Growing Together noted in a press release last year announcing the cultivar that from 2018-2020 more than 10% of planted hemp acreage was “hot.”
USDA, through APHIS, regulates the “Movement of Organisms Modified or Produced through Genetic Engineering” under the Plant Protection Act of 2000.
In a letter to Growing Together, APHIS Deputy Administrator Bernadette Juarez said the agency “found this modified hemp is unlikely to pose an increased plant pest risk compared to other cultivated hemp.”
“As a result,” she wrote, “it is not subject to regulation under [the Plant Protection Act]. From a plant pest risk perspective, this hemp may be safely grown and bred in the United States.”
Get daily cannabis business news updates. Subscribe
Thanks for reading our latest news article. Stay up to date on the latest hemp news, sourced and approved by HempRevs. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave us a message in the comments!
Sign up for our weekly newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Industry news and keep a look out for our next news article!
Source Disclaimer: This article was was sourced from Ganjapreneur.com (the Original Publisher). In order to maintain the functionality, trust, and safety of HempRevs.com, the content sourced from the Original Publisher may have been altered. Read the original article here:
USDA Says Genetically Modified Hemp Plant Containing 0% THC Can Be Grown In U.S.
