Cannabis sativa L., or 'hemp,' is an expanding commodity that relies heavily on its chemical constituents for its therapeutic effects and legal status. Growing conditions are critical for obtaining an anticipated chemical profile for any given hemp cultivar, a vital component of this process is soil composition.
This study evaluates the effect that soil has on cannabinoid and terpenoid content by comparing the extracts of two hemp cultivars grown similarly in two fields differing in soil preparation including cover crop (CC) usage and conventional tillage (CF). Hemp inflorescence from 200 hemp plants were extracted using supercritical fluid extraction techniques totaling 5 extracts of each cultivar per field and extracts were analyzed. Significant differences in cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabigerol (CBG), and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations were observed between field types and cultivar. Differences in terpene composition were observed between the cultivars grown in the CF field but not between those grown in the CC field.
This is the first study to show differences in extract composition of outdoor cultivated hemp grown in different soil conditions.
Chacon, F. T., Raup-Konsavage, S. A., Greenland, K., Gearhart, R., Desai, D. A., Zhou, S. A., Kellogg, J. J. & Raup-Konsavage, W. M., (2025) "Impact of Soil Quality on Cannabinoid and Terpenoid Content of Cannabis sativa L. ", Journal of Medicinally Active Plants 14(2-3), 19–30. doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/jmap.3150
Source: University of Massachussets
