Cannabis agronomic science is advancing at a frenetic pace through the social construct of “hemp” in the United States. The dizzying array of data being generated by universities, private companies, and committed individuals have critical implications for our understanding of a crop with unrivaled plasticity. This presentation will delve into the revolutionary developments coming to farmers’ fields in 2022, made possible through the application of next generation genomic sequencing tools and traditional breeding techniques. The results offer a window into the trajectory of cannabis and suggest that the long-standing promise of this plant—food, fiber, medicine, and unknown unknowns—can be achieved via coherent socio ecological planning and creative breeding.
