Cultivation

About 90% of cannabis plants in the California industry are reportedly infected with hop-latent viroid (HLVd), a pathogen that cripples growth and can reduce THC levels in a plant by as much as half.

A U.S. magistrate judge has tossed the class action lawsuit brought by several Humboldt County landowners who claimed they were wrongfully fined by the county for growing cannabis without a permit.

Cannabis cultivation workers at 48 Advanced Grow Labs in Connecticut this week became the first cannabis industry workers in Connecticut to unionize.

Florida lawmakers approved a bill requiring the state Department of Health to issue cannabis cultivation licenses to Black farmers who qualified for the licenses but were left out of the permitting process.

The California Department of Cannabis Control this week announced the awarding of $20 million in cannabis research grants. The grants will fund studies investigating medical cannabis, cannabis cultivation, cannabis industry regulations, and more.

Licensed cannabis growers in Oklahoma are now required to hold a $50,000 bond before their operations can begin; the bond can be recalled to fund any necessary remediation if the grow site is later abandoned or shut down by the state.

The open and outdoor cultivation of industrial hemp in West Virginia plummeted nearly 50% from 2021 to 2022, according to USDA data.

Washington state regulators shut down operations at several outdoor cannabis farms and processing facilities after testing revealed high levels of a dangerous pesticide used at the site, a former orchard, decades ago.

A bipartisan proposal by U.S. Sens. John Tester (D-MT) and Mike Braun (R-IN) is seeking to reduce regulations for hemp farmers producing grain and fiber.

The USDA’s National Weekly Hemp Report found that hemp planting in the U.S. is off to a slower start this year compared to the same period in 2022.

The international industrial hemp market is expected to reach $18.1 billion by 2027, according to a new market report.

In the second installment of our 2023 predictions series, we asked experts in cannabis science, cultivation, and agricultural technology — as well as industrial hemp and psychedelics — to weigh in with their industry expectations for the next year.

Cherokee medical cannabis company Qualla Enterprises LLC will receive $63 million to increase staffing and build new facilities following a recent Tribal Council vote.

Connecticut regulators said three of the state’s four medical cannabis producers have finished converting to a hybrid adult-use license and that sales should launch by early next year.

Illinois plans to distribute $8.75 million in loans of up to $500,000 at zero interest for 18 months to cannabis social equity licensees.

Cannabis is the sixth-most valuable crop in the U.S., according to the 2022 Leafly Cannabis Harvest Report.

The Federation of International Hemp Organizations, a newly-formed international consortium of hemp associations, will hold its first meeting next month in Canada.

British Columbia, Canada has launched a Producer Retail Store license that will allow adult-use standard producers, micro-producers, and nurseries to conduct on-site retail sales.

California Gavin Newsom (D) called for creating the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce, a multi-agency unit designed to combat illegal cannabis operations.

Morocco has distributed its first permits for medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial cannabis production.