To unshackle farmers from the regulatory burden and legal risk they face with growing industrial hemp, a professor at Texas A&M University (TAMU) aims to create novel hemp plants with a different chemical make-up and distinct physical appearance.

Under this concept, these plants would be devoid of cannabinoids, the chemical substances like cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) normally found in hemp, said Prof. Russell W. Jessup, who oversees TAMU’s hemp-breeding program, in an interview.