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Synthetic seeds show a glimpse of the future for cannabis breeding

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3 months ago

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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

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Columbia hemp business Burning Acre to close and move to North Carolina over new Tennessee rules

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9 hours ago

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June 14, 2026

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Burning Acre, a Columbia, Tennessee-based hemp company, says it will close its retail store and move operations to North Carolina ahead of new state regulations that take effect July 1, according to WSMV.

The business says its last day to open in Columbia will be June 30, the same day the Tennessee Department of Agriculture licenses for hemp-derived cannabinoids expire. As of July 1, businesses that continue to operate in the state will be required to be licensed under a new regulatory framework led by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

Burning Acre says the changes have forced it to abandon plans for a new sandwich shop and bakery and close its Tennessee retail operations and relocate to Murphy, North Carolina. “I won’t sugarcoat it, it’s a very hard video for me and a message I should never have written,” the business wrote.

The business puts the annual cost of manufacturing, distribution and running the retail store at about $750. Under the new rules, he says, those costs would rise by tens of thousands of dollars, citing new licensing fees, a required $25,000 annual bond and increased testing fees.

The law, which took effect in July, changes the regulation of hemp-derived cannabinoid businesses from the Department of Agriculture to the ABC. The Department of Agriculture stopped issuing licenses at the end of 2025, and the licenses issued by the TDA will remain valid until June 30, 2026.

“Columbia, we absolutely love being a part of this community,” said Burning Acre. “We are truly heartbroken to have to say goodbye to this location.”

Read more at WSMV4










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North Carolina Lawmakers Advance Bill To Set A Minimum Age Limit For Hemp And Kratom Products

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9 hours ago

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June 14, 2026

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“Many other details about cannabis have been debated and will continue to be debated.”

By Christine Zhu, NC Newsline

Lawmakers in North Carolina are considering banning people under 21 from buying or possessing certain hemp-derived consumables, including combustible hemp flower, hemp cigarettes, gummies and drinks, or items that include the drug kratom.

The House Agriculture and Environment Committee approved a rewrite of Senate Bill 59 on Wednesday. This is the latest attempt by state legislators after years of proposals to regulate the sale of hemp products that didn’t work out in the end.

This measure would prohibit companies from selling such products to under-21s. If the seller has “reasonable grounds” to believe that the buyer is under the age of 21, the seller must verify the buyer’s ID.

Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin), who introduced the bill, said he was motivated to bring public attention to issues surrounding cannabis. He said there was a 14-year-old boy in his neighborhood who had an emergency after buying a hemp-derived product.

“There are a lot of other details about cannabis that have been debated and will continue to be debated, but ladies and gentlemen, to make sure we have the good sense to be agents of these kinds of issues, that’s the lowest hanging fruit,” he said.

Violators would face a Class 2 felony, as well as a fine of $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second offense and $1,500 for subsequent offenses.

asked Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford). of the bill language resulted in potential changes to hemp-derived products. It is common for manufacturers of synthetic recreational drugs to make changes to the chemical composition of their products to avoid legal bans or restrictions.

“I assume the definition as written is broad enough to capture any future manipulation of molecules,” he said. Dixon nodded.

Legislators also voted in favor correction To add kratom products to the under-21 ban.

Rep. Jeffrey McNeely (R-Iredell), who proposed the amendment, said it was necessary to add those elements to the bill.

“I’ve been working on this for quite some time, trying to get these bills passed,” McNeely said. “We definitely have a problem. So I’m hoping we can keep posting this and we’ll get something done before we get out of the short session here.”

Both the amendment and the legislation passed unanimously without debate.

The bill moves next to the House Rules Committee. Other amendments will be heard when they appear on the House floor, which could be as soon as next week.

This story was first published by NC Newsline.

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GreenTech Amsterdam 2026 in 2026 photos

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1 day ago

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June 13, 2026

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Well, it’s not 2026 photos, but with around 600 photos, we definitely did our best. For the past two days, the Netherlands has been the place to be for the global greenhouse industry. From Flower Trials for the horticulture sector, company visits to growers and technical suppliers, as well as dinners, get-togethers, drinks, knowledge sessions and much more. And of course with GreenTech Amsterdam.

The event brought together professionals from around the world to connect, network, share knowledge and do business.

Next week, we’ll be sharing more information on market developments, trends, what’s on display, news, business news, innovations and whatever else you can think of, but for now we’ll stick to photo reporting.

Click here for the photo report.

© Arlette Sijmonsma | MMJDaily.com










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