Connect with us

Cannabis News

Synthetic seeds show a glimpse of the future for cannabis breeding

Published

2 months ago

on

When tissue culture laboratories emerged in the 1970s, they quickly became the standard infrastructure for propagating tomatoes, corn, and dozens of other crops. Decades of scientific literature followed, refining formulas and SOPs that made the process reliable at scale. For cannabis, this body of knowledge does not exist, the consequences of the prohibition era. It’s a gap that companies like Microhemp, a tissue culture lab based in Italy, are now working to close. “Tissue culture labs have been around since the 70s,” says Marco Bianco, founder of Microhemp. “But when it comes to cannabis, this is a relatively new space.”

© Microhemp

Set to empty
Scientific failure has made the setup unimaginable. “Tissue culture has been known inside and out since the 70s. Around Cesena, where we are, there are many laboratories, but they work with traditional plants. Italy produces millions of plants in tissue culture every year, but the cloning formula of these plants is very well known to the scientific community. Because of the ban, there is not nearly as much for cannabis.” That’s why Marco says the value of Microhemp lies precisely in discovering the SOPs for tissue culture of cannabis. “We clean and preserve the genetics, and of course we replicate them.”

Before reaching that point, they had to go through the garage phase. That was 2018. “We started the first initial tests in the usual way. However, this could not work, everything became contaminated, which reinforced the belief that we had to create a sterile laboratory.” Thanks to a European grant, the Microhemp laboratory finally became a reality. “We built the lab inside two 12-meter containers. One has a growth chamber, and the other has a lab and a sterile growth chamber.” Notably, Microhemp did not buy off-the-shelf container farms, they acquired empty shipping containers and completely refurbished them to their specifications.

© Microhemp

Micropropagation of cannabis
This hands-on experience became the basis for one of the company’s secondary services: designing tissue culture laboratories and other facilities. But the core business remains micropropagation. “In micropropagation, every month, you triple the material.”

The method seems simple, but it is not. “We start with small plastic pots, with 7 nodes left to grow. We open the pot again, divide the plant into those 7 nodes again and move on to the last 3 pots. If you do this every month, you can produce a huge number of plants, it’s exponential. In a very short time, we build the line, which is millions of the same plants.” Achieving this requires careful planning at every stage. “The plant that I deliver to you today was taken from a sterile environment. To have that plant ready, we started two months before delivery, and before that there is at least two months of planning to reach the final clone. To deliver a plant to the customer, I decided that it would become a real plant four months before delivery. This creates challenges, because we have to be good at managing stocks, but this allows us to make traditional nurseries quite difficult. Our strength is in numbers, what really sets us apart is our cleanliness in GMP work when you do, the most important thing is to start with a plant that you can guarantee is not infected.

Synthetic seeds© Microhemp
Genetic conservation of microhemp can also take the form of synthetic seeds, a striking way of preserving genetics that keeps traits intact for the long term, and has a practical advantage unrelated to biology. “It’s a very convenient option from a purely logistical point of view,” explains Marco. “If a multinational has facilities in several countries and opens a new site in North Macedonia, synthetic seeds are the best way to move a specific genetic. Put the pot in your pocket,” he laughs.

The reality is more nuanced, as Marco is quick to acknowledge. Synthetic seeds cannot yet be germinated in rockwool, a separate laboratory is required on the recipient side. Microhemp has tested a middle solution: a container format that holds the synthetic seed and the grow room in the same container, but mechanically separated. The user drops the seed in the room to initiate the roots. “It wasn’t guaranteed enough. The seed was germinating with reasonable frequency, but not good enough,” says Marco. For now, the project is on hold while the company focuses on scaling up its core micropropagation and lab design services, which, as Marco says, is what a tissue culture lab actually does.

For more information:
Microhemp Srl
Via Giuseppe Verdi 131, 41019 Soliera (MO), Italy
+393351736178
(email protected)
microhemp.it

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Cannabis News

Livermore Falls debates cannabis licensing fees

Published

12 hours ago

on

May 13, 2026

By











Existing medical cannabis licensing fees will be temporarily applied to recreational marijuana businesses, the Select Committee decided on May 5. Board members agreed 4-1 to the temporary change, as long as officials say the fees are higher than necessary and accurately reflect the town’s oversight costs.

Bryce Cobb, Livermore Falls’ code enforcement officer, plumbing inspector, health officer and E-911 dispatcher, said voters approved the amended cannabis ordinance on April 28. Cobb said the amended ordinance allows recreational marijuana businesses and the next step was to establish a fee schedule. Recreational cannabis businesses operating in town would require local licensing approval under the ordinance.

Asked if he had fee schedules from other towns to compare, Cobb said he did not. Additionally, the town’s fee schedule specifically mentions medicinal cannabis.

“So it could be medical and adult use,” Cobb said when discussing whether the existing fee structure could apply to recreational businesses.

Read more at Sun Magazine










Continue Reading

Cannabis News

Georgia Governor Signs Bill To Expand Medical Marijuana Access By Allowing Vaping And Adding New Qualifying Conditions

Published

12 hours ago

on

May 13, 2026

By

The governor of Georgia has signed a bill expand access to medical marijuana in the state.

SB 220, which was approved by Gov. Brian Kemp (R) on Tuesday, will add new requirements to the program, allow patients to vape medical cannabis, and change THC potency limits, among other reforms.

Under the legislation, patients with lupus will be allowed access to medical marijuana, under current state law that allows people with cancer, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, autism spectrum disorder, intractable pain and other conditions to qualify.

The bill by Sen. Matt Brass (R) removes many of the requirements for a patient to be in a critical or terminal condition to enter the medical cannabis program.

The reform will also expand how patients can use medical marijuana. Until now, they have been able to obtain oils, tinctures, capsules, lozenges, topicals and transdermal patches, but the new law will also allow vaping as a form of vaping for patients over 21, while continuing to ban smoking for all patients.

The Putting Georgia’s Patients First Act also replaces the current 5 percent THC potency limit on medical cannabis products with a limit of 12,000 milligrams of THC that a patient can possess at any one time.

“These changes, while meaningful to affected patients, do not materially change where Georgia stands in the national landscape on this issue,” Kemp said in a signing statement. “This bill passed with a constitutional majority in both houses of the General Assembly.”

“I, like many who opposed this bill, have reservations about legalizing recreational cannabis. Many states that have legalized recreational cannabis have regretted that decision,” he said. “I also recognize that for some patients, medical cannabis provides significant relief from symptoms that would otherwise be untreated or treated with even more harmful opioids.”

“I do not believe that a well-implemented medical cannabis program should inevitably lead to the legalization of recreational use in Georgia, nor is the issue of recreational use on the bill on my desk for signature,” the governor said.

The invoice also replaces references to “low THC oil” in current laws with “medical cannabis.”

—
It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracking and become a Patreon supporter to gain access
—

The Georgia Medical Cannabis Access Commission, which oversees the program, “will have a new duty to inform citizens, law enforcement and health care providers about the effective uses of medical cannabis and its products, including publishing materials and conducting outreach and public education activities to inform the public, law enforcement and health care providers about this state’s medical cannabis program and the potential benefits for patients.”

Last year, the leaders of the Chamber a Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Georgia’s Medical Marijuana and Hemp Policies to examine state cannabis laws.

Georgia lawmakers have also considered the legislation supporting research into the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with the help of readers. If you rely on our pro-cannabis journalism to stay informed, consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

Become a patron on Patreon!

Continue Reading

Cannabis News

EU regulators say Charlotte’s Web hemp CBD safety “cannot be established”

Published

1 day ago

on

May 12, 2026

By

The growing tension between international scientific findings and US health policy has raised questions about whether Medicare beneficiaries are being exposed to cannabinoid products whose safety profiles have not been fully established.

In March 2026, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) carried out a formal scientific evaluation of a shipment of Charlotte’s Web hemp product, concluding that the safety of a carbon dioxide extract derived from Cannabis sativa L. “cannot be established”. The agency identified several gaps in the available data, including significant portions of the product remaining uncharacterized, a lack of reliable toxicological studies on the actual material, a lack of human clinical data, and an unknown allergenicity and long-term safety profile.

At the same time, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the Substance Access Beneficiary Engagement Incentive (BEI) program. The initiative allows participating healthcare providers to discuss and supply certain hemp and marijuana-derived cannabinoid products to Medicare beneficiaries under the authority of the Center for Innovation, and does not require approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. That distinction is at issue in a pending federal case: Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), et al. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. et al., Case 1:26-cv-01081 (U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia).

Under the FDA’s standard framework, products intended for therapeutic use typically undergo controlled clinical trials, dose standardization, safety and toxicology evaluation, and manufacturing and stability validation. The BEI program operates outside of this structure. Some observers point out that this could introduce products into federally funded care settings before those benchmarks are met, while proponents of the program characterize it as a legitimate model of innovation.

Medicare beneficiaries represent a medically complex population, with many patients managing multiple medications, chronic conditions, and increased susceptibility to drug interactions. Cannabinoid compounds, including THC, interact with metabolic pathways such as CYP450 enzymes, which process many common medications. The safety profile of these products in this population has not been fully characterized through controlled studies.

Following the launch of the program, several companies publicly announced their positioning within the emerging healthcare supply chain. Charlotte’s Web highlighted alignment with CMS drivers and Cornbread Hemp announced institutional distribution through a national group buying organization, reflecting broader commercialization activity in the category.

SAM v. In Kennedy, the court is evaluating whether CMS overstepped its statutory authority by introducing avenues for the supply of cannabinoids without formal regulations, public notice and comment, or FDA validation standards. A resolution will determine whether the program is scaled back, modified, or stopped pending further review as implemented.

The EFSA’s conclusion does not ban the marketing of CBD products, but indicates that the scientific evidence necessary to fully establish their safety remains incomplete. The political debate reflects a broader question in health care regulation: how to balance the pace of innovation for therapeutic products with the standards of evidence typically required in federally funded systems of care.

Source: MMJ International Holdings

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending

Copyright © 2021 The Art of MaryJane Media