Industrial Hemp for Flower Production a Guide to Basic Production Techniques Hemp Is a Non-Psychoactive Variety of Cannabis Sativa L
Industrial Hemp for Flower Production A Guide to Basic Production Techniques Hemp is a non-psychoactive variety of Cannabis sativa L. The crop is one of historical importance in the U.S. and re-emerging worldwide importance as manufacturers seek hemp as a renewable and sustainable resource for a wide variety of consumer and industrial products. Hemp can be grown for flower, fiber, and/or grain. For years, U.S. entrepreneurs have been importing hemp from China, Eastern Europe and Canada to manufacture travel gear, apparel and accessories, body care and cosmetics, foods like bread, beer, and salad oils, paper products, building materials and animal bedding, textiles, auto parts, housewares, and sporting equipment. Industrial hemp is poised to be a “new” cash crop and market opportunity for Vermont farms that is versatile and suitable as a rotation crop with other specialty crops, small grains, and grasses. Hemp grown for all types of end-use contains less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hemp varieties intended to produce a health supplement contain relatively high concentrations of a compound called cannabidiol (CBD), potentially 10-15%. Cannabidiol is just one of over 100 cannabinoids found in hemp. Cannabidiol has purported benefits such as relief from inflammation, pain, anxiety, seizures, spasms, and other conditions. In addition to the vast number of cannabinoids, plants are known to produce over 400 other secondary compounds including terpenes, which have other purported health benefits and contribute to plant aromatics. The CBD is most concentrated in the female flower buds of the plant; however, it is also in the leaves and other plant parts as well.
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