Dr. Hsuan Chen, a research plant breeder at Oregon CBD, reports that one of the big announcements at this year's Plant and Animal Genome (PAG) conference was the successful molecular cloning of a CBDA synthase (the gene responsible for CBDA production in cannabis) in vitro. When fed a steady diet of purified CBGA, the gene produced 23 parts CBDA to 1 part THCA. This is a major explanation of why THCA is produced by type III, CBD-dominant plants, calls into question work we have done on CBCA synthases being primarily responsible, and again demonstrates that a 0.3% total THC rule on final hemp products is not scientifically defensible if the law is to match biological reality.

Farmers would be wise to keep this new finding in mind while being bombarded by seed brokers or companies claiming "compliant" CBD varieties. No pure CBD variety can pass strict testing limits 15 days before harvest without compromising yield or maturity. Knowing your state's sampling protocol and testing timelines is critical to successful farming in 2020 and beyond.