b'her seizures all but stopped. Charlotte became one of the faces of the CBD movement and a testament to the potential benefits of the cannabinoid.Sadly, Charlotte passed away in April of 2020 at the age of 13, but her legacy lives on. Colorado has offi-cially named April 7 as Charlotte Figi Day in the state.Now, two Charlottes Web varietiesCW Ambassador and CW Duchessare approved for production in Canada. They are among the first hemp CBD cultivars on the Health Canada list that are early flowering and early maturing for outdoor cultivation and harvesting within the shorter Canadian growing season. The hemp seeds will be produced and sold under the CW Hemp Supply Co. brand.Charlottes Web co-founder Jared Stanley said the deal with Tritium 3H will enable both Charlottes Web and Tritium 3H to drive future hemp innovation for the Canadian market.Of course, innovation cant happen without a degree of consumer confidence. Bear Reel, vice presi- Albertas Jan Slaski in a field of hemp plants.dent of cultivation and R&D at Charlottes Web, was the lead developer of the two new cultivars approved by Health Canada. She says consumer confidence in hemp extract products relies first and foremost on good hemp genetics. Identifying those genetics isnt easy, however.Need for TrialingLike many crops in Canada, hemp varieties that grow well here need to be early flowering. Identifying those varieties means a need for regional trials, some-thing that prior to now has been difficult, accord-ing to Randy Shultz, chief technology officer for the California-based Arcadia Biosciences. Arcadia also has struck a deal with Tritium 3H to distribute three of its GoodHemp varieties in Canada.The varieties are Umpqua (CBD-dominant, early photoperiod variety for both the smokable and CBD extraction markets); Rogue (CBD-dominant, high-yielding intermediate photoperiod variety for the CBDRandy Shultz is chief technologyJamie Ghossein is CEO of Cannabis extraction markets); and Santiam (CBD-dominant,officer for the California-basedOrchards, based in Ottawa, Ont. Hes early photoperiod variety suited to northern latitudesArcadia Biosciences.PHOTO: ARCADIA BIOSCIENCES also a full-time physician at Ottawa for both the smokable and CBD extraction markets). Hospital.PHOTO: CANNABIS ORCHARDSSomething thats been missing on the hemp side is rigorous, regional trialing in different locations andsides and the inbreds to get the uniformity and performance thats needed latitudes. We have our own regional trialing networkand to finish really early, Shultz adds.through cooperators. To be able to understand howThe time from flowering to harvest is shorter than many other varieties different varieties perform in different regions is ofout there, which in Canada is a huge benefit. But the amount of research really critical value for the industry, Shultz says. needed to get there is significant, so to open up the space like this and Last year, Arcadia and Tritium 3H focused on test- allow these CBD varieties to be grown in Canada is a leap forward.ing for THC compliance in order to gain Health Canada approval. This year, theyre expanding their testing andCBGtrialing program, looking at yield, planting rates andIts not just CBD that the cannabis industry in Canada is looking to bring agronomy, all designed to help growers maximize theirto market. Other so-called minor cannabinoids, including cannabigerol per-acre profit. (CBG), are in demand as well. Panakeia, a THC-free and high-CBG hemp These varieties are true hybrids. The team went tovariety from Ottawa biotech company Cannabis Orchards, was also great lengths to stabilize the genetics on the parentaladded to the approved cultivar list.32/ SEEDWORLD.COMSEPTEMBER 2021'