Skip to Content
News

A New Genetically Modified ‘Low THC’ Hemp Was Just Approved by the USDA

The modified hemp plants are not available for purchase yet but when they are, they will likely appeal to hemp farmers since hemp that exceeds the .3% limit on THC can not legally be sold and must be destroyed.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently approved a new genetically modified type of hemp that contains virtually no THC in it.

The new variety of hemp was developed by Growing Together Research, an Indiana-based biotech company that specializes in cannabis, psychedelics and agriculture. 

The modified hemp plants are not available for purchase yet but when they are, they will likely appeal to hemp farmers since hemp that exceeds the .3% limit on THC can not legally be sold and must be destroyed.

GTR estimated that 10 percent of all hemp grown between 2018 and 2020 had to be destroyed due to testing too high in Delta-9 THC.

High Times reported that “more clarification will potentially come soon regarding the new hemp plants as the USDA was tasked primarily with determining if the genetically modified hemp plants posed a “plant pest risk” rather than regulations concerning the compounds contained in the plant, which are largely left up to the FDA and DEA.

In a September media release, the USDA said they “reviewed the modified hemp plant to determine whether it posed an increased plant pest risk as compared to cultivated hemp” and found that it was unlikely to pose an increased plant pest.

Meanwhile, the team at GTR is also reportedly experimenting with developing another supercharged variety of cannabis containing elevated levels of THC.

“The scientific ability to modulate THC expression up and down, referred to as the "Delta-9 Dial," represents a quantum leap forward in stable gene editing of the cannabis plant, which is notoriously difficult to transform,” the company said in a 2022 press release.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

Everything Wrong with Tesla’s $500 ‘Mezcal’

"Mezcal has become a commodity for many, without any regard for the earth, [or] for Indigenous people's land rights," says Odilia Romero, an Indigenous migrants rights advocate from Oaxaca and the executive director for CIELO. "Oaxaca is also having a water access issue.

December 20, 2024

This Weekend: Sonoran Caramelos, Brisket Tteokbokki, Mex-Italian Fusion, and Country-Fried Tofu

Plus, Malay-style wings, a collaboration pizza-topped with Philippe The Original's French-dipped beef and hot mustard, and more in this week's roundup.

December 20, 2024

More Than 70 People Reported Feeling Ill After Eating Oysters At L.A. Times ‘101 Restaurants’ Food Event

Ragusano is disappointed that the L.A. Times didn’t publicly disclose that there was an outbreak at their event. “Obviously they’re not going to print it in their paper,” Ragusano said. “But they‘re a newspaper and newspapers are supposed to share the news. This is how people usually find out about something like this,” she added. “It's ironic because it happened to them.”

December 19, 2024

The 38 Best Books of 2024

Like listening to music, reading is an activity that recharges the spirit. It offers a chance to unplug for an hour to fill your soul and slow down. Here are 38 ways to free your attention span from doom scrolling and algorithms.

December 18, 2024

A Trucker’s Oasis For Peruvian Chicharrón Sandwiches, Leche de Tigre, and Camote Donuts In Vernon

Their chicharrón sandwich is the best $10 you can spend in the beautiful city of Vernon. This mom-and-pop shop opened by a couple of retired truck drivers is a bonafide strip mall gem in Los Angeles, overlooking the L.A. River, too.

December 17, 2024
See all posts