Does pollination alter the cannabinoid composition and yield of extracts from hemp (Cannabis sativa L. cv. Finola) flowers?

This study was undertaken to compare cannabinoid levels and yields in floral extracts from unpollinated and artificially pollinated industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L. cv. Finola) flowers grown under identical growth chamber conditions. Of the 16 cannabinoids analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the levels of 10, cannabichromene (CBC), cannabichromenic acid (CBCA), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabinol (CBN) cannabinolic acid (CBNA), delta(8)-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta(8)-THC), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) and tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (THCVA) were near or below the limit of quantification. Total delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), was present at concentrations below the legal limit of 0.3% (w/w). The level of cannabidiol (CBD) in extracts from pollinated flowers was the same as that from unpollinated flowers, but cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA) levels were not. This suggested that, although pollination changes the pool sizes of the precursors in the metabolic pathway leading to CBD production, cannabinoid levels in floral extracts from the Finola cultivar, were reduced but not eliminated, by pollination of hemp flowers compared with levels in floral extracts from unpollinated flowers.

Automated summary

This study compared cannabinoid levels and yields in floral extracts from industrial hemp flowers that were unpollinated and artificially pollinated. The results showed that while pollination did reduce cannabinoid levels in the extracts, particularly cannabidiolic acid and cannabidivarinic acid, it did not eliminate them completely.