West Virginia University Professor Working to Lower THC Levels in Industrial Hemp

While the kind of hemp that's grown in West Virginia does not contain the level of the psychoactive substance present in its cousin, marijuana, it does contain a trace, sometimes more. A West Virginia University (WVU) professor hopes to help farmers and growers better understand why this may be and how to keep levels low, which will allow farmers to profit from the useful crop without triggering federal drug-enforcement agencies. West Virginia University Assistant Professor, Michael Gutensohn, will be studying what environmental factors lead to an accumulation of THC in the plant. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Gutensohn a $200,000 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative grant to study industrial hemp for two years. For more information, read the WVU article.