Green gold: how China quietly grew into a cannabis superpower
Plantations are flourishing thanks to Chinese-developed hybrid species that have not just survived but thrived in the country’s disparate environments
South China Morning Post (China)
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Thanks to government support and a long tradition, China has quietly become a superpower in hemp production and research. This growth has in part been made possible by government-funded scientists who study the plant’s military uses, including as medication and fabric for uniforms. As a result of that research, more than half of the world’s 600-plus patents related to the plant are now held in China, according to the World Intellectual Property Organisation. This has prompted concerns in the Western pharmaceutical industry that the Chinese government or Chinese firms might take advantage of the patent barriers.
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