Recently, Heilongjiang Provincial crop variety Approval Committee approved 13 industrial hemp varieties, which added a new army to China's industrial hemp germplasm resources.

Hemp is an annual herb of hemp family, also known as hemp, hemp, hemp and so on. Cannabinoids and non cannabinoids are the main natural chemical components in cannabis plants, and the two most important components in cannabinoids are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabinoid diphenol (CBD).

Among them, thc is a psychoactive ingredient that can make people addicted to hallucination, which is also an important reason why cannabis is subject to global drug control. CBD compounds were found to have no toxic activity, which showed great potential in cosmetics, drugs, especially in anti-inflammatory, analgesic, epilepsy, degenerative diseases (Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease), cancer and other diseases.

"In the 1990s, in order to promote the advantages and eliminate the disadvantages, hemp varieties with THC content less than 0.3% (dry matter weight percentage) and no drug use value were called industrial hemp internationally. THC content is an important standard to distinguish industrial marijuana from drug marijuana Zhao lining, a discipline leader in the field of bast genetic engineering at the Institute of bast crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, told China Science Daily.

With the development of medical value of industrial marijuana, the global rise of industrial marijuana fever. Experts said that industrial marijuana should be actively, steadily and moderately developed to promote the healthy development of industrial marijuana industry and benefit mankind.

Benefit function

Industrial marijuana is widely used. CBD is a specific drug for the treatment of mental diseases, such as epilepsy, anxiety, depression and so on. Although China is a big producer of industrial hemp, it mainly produces raw materials for export. Foreign enterprises use the raw materials produced in China for processing and then sell them to the global market at dozens of times the price. Experts believe that if domestic related industries fail to develop, they will be highly dependent on imports in the future.

In addition to the above medical value, industrial hemp is mainly used in textile, paper, oil and other fields. Su Jianguang, director of the national hemp germplasm resource bank, told China Science Daily: "at present, there are more than 1300 industrial hemp germplasm resources in China's national hemp germplasm resource bank, including medicinal type, seed type and fiber type, with the largest number of resources in the world and rich genetic diversity."

At present, the distribution pattern of global industrial marijuana shows three main production regions: EU, North America and China. Among them, China is the country with the most industrial marijuana in the world. According to the statistical data of China Agricultural statistical yearbook and FAO, China's industrial hemp production accounts for about 50% of the world, mainly for fiber or oil.

Hemp is widely planted in China, and the production layout of Yunnan Province is mainly for flower and leaf, Heilongjiang Province is mainly for fiber, and Shanxi Province is mainly for grain.

The pioneer is Yunnan. In 2018, three series of agricultural industry standards for industrial hemp seeds (NY / t3252) drafted by Institute of economic crops, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences were officially implemented. This marks the first time that the concept and seed standard of industrial hemp have been standardized at the national level in China, and it also provides applicable, scientific and authoritative standard reference for variety, seed quality and conventional seed breeding technology.

Zhao lining said that at present, Yunnan Province and Heilongjiang Province have completed the local legislation of industrial marijuana, and the local legislation of Jilin Industrial marijuana has also been put on the agenda. "At present, the domestic and foreign industrial market is favorable, the advantage of raw material planting is remarkable, the local policy support and laws and regulations are constantly improving, and the industrial development is benign."

Breeding source

According to statistics, with the accelerated pace of legalization and industrial development of the industry, the global industrial hemp output value is expected to reach 166 billion US dollars by 2025.

Zhao lining said that in recent years, China's basic research on industrial hemp has been increasing, mainly including CBD extraction and application, male female differentiation, and dioecious hybrid breeding experiments.

At present, China has built the world's largest national bast germplasm resources bank. In the aspect of molecular breeding technology, mature hemp regeneration system and space mutation germplasm resources have been established. In addition, the innovation and application of hemp genetic transformation system and hemp gene editing technology also occupy the leading position in the world.

"Most of the industrial hemp is dioecious, most of the individuals are heterozygous, and there are many variations. Based on the actual production needs, industrial hemp is required to have the characteristics of high and stable yield, consistent plant uniformity, high quality, strong resistance, stable heredity of poison content, strong environmental adaptability and tolerance, and adaptation mechanization." Zhao lining said about the ideal industrial hemp varieties.

According to the control varieties of hemp popularized in South and North China, zhonghemp No.1, the most representative variety of hemp, shows many advantages. Its plant height is suitable, stem hemp rate is more than 20%, and it has strong resistance to disease and adversity. Even under the influence of severe adverse weather, the fiber yield can still reach 170 ~ 190 kg / mu, which is more than 6% higher than that of local varieties.

"In particular, the monoecious varieties suitable for cultivation in the north have good growth consistency, which can effectively avoid the problem of poor harvest caused by different maturity stages of dioecies, and are also suitable for mechanization." Zhao lining said.

In October 2019, experts identified that the CBD content of zhonghanma No.1 reached 3.19%, which is the highest CBD content officially recognized in China. Su Jianguang said that the variety is a special medicinal variety, suitable for planting in China's Yunnan, Hunan and other middle and low latitude areas. Currently, he is applying for inclusion in the list of legal planting varieties and breeding license of Yunnan Province, and is expected to put into the market within 1-2 years.

In Su Jianguang's opinion, in the future, we should continue to strengthen the introduction, identification and evaluation of high CBD germplasm resources, the breeding of special CBD high content varieties, the establishment and application of genetic transformation system and gene editing technology system, and the development of indoor and outdoor advanced planting technology, plant protection, machinery and other technologies.

Strong industry

Su Jianguang told China Science Daily that as an emerging sunrise industry, industrial marijuana has broad prospects in the fields of medicine, food and health, and the key to its development lies in cultivation, extraction and processing, and product research and development. "Excellent high CBD varieties with independent intellectual property rights and their supporting seed breeding technology and advanced planting technology are an important part of the core competitiveness of industrial hemp industry."

Experts said that in the development of the industry, China and the world are on the same starting line, both in the initial stage. However, we should clearly realize that there are still many problems in the development of industrial hemp in China.

Su Jianguang mentioned that in terms of technological development, if there is no major breakthrough and application of breeding technology, it will be difficult for industrial hemp breeding to break through the "ceiling" with CBD content of about 6% and THC content of less than 0.3% in the next three to five years under outdoor cultivation conditions.

Zhao lining pointed out that scientific research and industrial development of cannabis are one-sided. China's industrial hemp related varieties and patents mainly focus on fiber seed cultivation and textile material production. There are relatively few special varieties with high CBD content and patents on CBD purification technology.

Imperfect policies are also one of the problems. The United Nations Single Convention on narcotic drugs of 1961 clearly stipulates that the control of cannabis is not applicable to the cultivation of cannabis plants for industrial use (fiber and seed) or horticultural use. However, the relevant laws in China only stipulate the control requirements of marijuana as a drug source plant, and do not make a scientific distinction between industrial marijuana. In fact, according to the data of the public security department, China's drug marijuana is mainly imported from abroad. As long as the entry of marijuana seeds and finished products is strictly controlled, the problem of marijuana can be controlled.

In addition, Su Jianguang said that only Yunnan and Heilongjiang provinces in China legislate on the legalization of industrial marijuana cultivation and production. "We hope to establish a national safety management method for the cultivation and processing of industrial marijuana, clarify the management department of industrial marijuana, and improve the multi sectoral coordinated development mechanism. Otherwise, it will be difficult to form a complete hemp internal circulation industrial system and large-scale benefits, which will restrict the healthy and sound development of the industry. "

Zhao lining suggested that in order to realize the industrialization of scientific and technological achievements, we must establish and improve an effective mechanism to ensure that scientific and technological achievements can find a balance between scientific research institutes, enterprises and social needs, and make scientific and technological achievements closely linked with market demand. In addition, it is necessary to promote relevant legislation and supervision measures to prevent industrial marijuana from entering the market.

Su Jianguang said that the future hemp industry will be a cluster or ecosystem with hemp as the main line, involving R & D, cultivation, processing, products, trade, medical treatment, big health and other industries, and a pan industrial cluster that will affect all aspects of human life.

"The industry should return to rationality. At present, we should consider the government's standardized management and control, the research and development, planting and processing of new technologies and new varieties, and the participation of enterprises and capital. We should do a good job in the top-level design, seize the opportunity, do a solid job, and realize the healthy development of the industrial hemp industry." Su Jianguang stressed.