China, the quiet global superpower of hemp cultivation

Yesterday’s vision for today’s harvest. Although China has a zero tolerance policy for marijuana, the country is the largest producer of hemp in the world, estimated to cultivate about half of world’s production.

To clarify, hemp is a botanical family name of about 33 species and 90 genera with different contents of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the known psycho-active substance as in marijuana, and CBD (cannabidiol), an increasingly popular non psycho-active compound with various medicinal and health benefits.

Hemp with THC content lower than 0.3% is considered industrial hemp while a THC content exceeding 1% is considered narcotic hemp (known as marihuana). Since 2010, the Chinese government is allowing cultivation of industrial hemp to selected companies in designated regions in Yunnan, Jilin and Anhui provinces. Chinese researchers have also developed various hybrid species for adapted cultivation in different natural environments.

The current global popularity and research on the benefits of CBD and hemp seed oil in health and skin care, the worldwide cannabis legalization trend and the superfiber rediscovery, the Chinese hemp cultivation industry is flourishing.

Yesterday’s vision for today’s harvest

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