HONOLULU More than half of hemp crops cultivated in Hawaii in the past year were unusable due to high THC levels.
HONOLULU — More than half of hemp crops cultivated in Hawaii in the past year were unusable due to high THC levels.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Monday that the crops cultivated for the state’s hemp industry tested above the federal limit for the chemical that causes people to become high.
The state Department of Agriculture says 18 crops were destroyed due to heightened tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.
Officials granted waivers to four crops that tested slightly above the limit, allowing the plants to be used as hemp.
A cannabis plant is legally classified as hemp rather than marijuana if it contains 0.3% or less THC, which causes marijuana’s mind-altering effects.
An official says the large number of plants testing above the limit is part of a difficult research process for the nascent industry.
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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com
