Global Marijuana Viroid Outbreak Sparks Concern Among Experts

The cannabis and hop industries are facing a devastating threat that could cost billions of dollars in losses. Hop latent viroid (HpLVd) is spreading rapidly, posing a serious challenge to growers worldwide. 

About The Viroid

HpLVd, which was discovered in 2018, is a concern for cannabis and hop growers worldwide and can cause a plant to struggle to grow normally, making it shorter and resulting in underdeveloped or stunted trichomes.

“It’s almost like the plant just doesn’t have that energy to put into those trichomes,” according to Zamir Punja, a plant biology professor at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada.

Growers can take preventive steps to curb the spread of the viroid, but it is still challenging to manage. It can be transmitted from plant to plant through a variety of ways, with the most likely form of transmission being through trim tools used for vegetative propagation and grafting or human hands.

The viroid moves quickly from the roots to the leaves to the flower in two to three weeks, causing the plant to struggle to grow normally. Infected plants are shorter, have underdeveloped or stunted trichomes, and can cause catastrophic damage to a facility with cannabinoid levels and yields reduced by more than 30%.

A High Price To The Industry

According to MjBiz Daily, growers can take preventive steps to curb the spread of the viroid, but researchers estimate that the frequency of infected plants is estimated to be in the range of 25%-50% in both the US and Canada.

“This translates into more than $4 billion in annual losses for U.S. growers who were expected to produce more than 7 million pounds of legal cannabis in 2021,” said Jeremy Warren, director of plant science for Oakland-based Dark Heart.

Therefore, it is important to have the plants tested, down to the roots, but even then, there are no assurances. “It’s actually hard to identify that it’s infected because the plant looks fairly healthy,” said Glass House GHBWF president Graham Farrar, after the company cultivators noticed their plants looking stunted, with a lack of terpenes and cannabinoids.

As a result, the industry is taking crucial steps to combat the viroid, with laboratories developing new testing and management technologies to prevent further damage. In this high-stakes battle to protect their crops, growers must act fast to safeguard their livelihoods and ensure the long-term health and productivity of their farmland.

Photo: Courtesy Of Jeff W On Unsplash