Cannabis Science

Our goal is to identify and solve emerging problems facing the industrial hemp industry and provide research-based solutions.

The hemp industry is relatively new and constantly evolving, with new challenges and regulations appearing annually. Our interdisciplinary research team focuses on identifying key problems faced by those in the industry who grow hemp for grain, fiber and CBD production. Our team conducts basic and applied research to solve these issues.

Our Core Research Areas

• Optimizing best management practices for growing hemp in the field and under controlled environments
• Improving our understanding of soil fertility and plant nutrition requirements
• Cultivar evaluations for autoflower and daylength Cannabis varieties best suited for Pennsylvania
• Biology of Cannabis pathogens and epidemiology of emerging diseases of hemp
• Management of hemp diseases and invasive weeds

We welcome prospective graduate students and collaborators interested in novel, multidisciplinary research that seeks to answer fundamental questions related to hemp.

The Hemp Project involves several graduate students and researchers across various departments at Penn State, as well as collaborators from other institutions. For more information on research opportunities in Cannabis, please contact Dr. Kaminski.