Growers should … rethink taking their plants to full term. Cannabinoids increase with time in the plant, which is why growers should consider employing an in-house testing protocol and be prepared to harvest before the THC levels exceed 0.3%, even though harvesting early results in lower CBD levels as well.

“One thing farmers need to start thinking about is the ideal harvest time to maximize what they’re growing for but also to minimize risk,” says Kyle Sosebee, J.D., a hemp and cannabis lawyer based in Massachusetts. “We know that THC spikes at the very end of the growing season along with a lot of the other cannabinoids. What we may end up seeing is farmers harvesting earlier than they otherwise would just so they have a bigger safety margin and avoid that end-of-the-season spike in THC.

"That may become part of the growing strategy for farmers: They’re going to short themselves on CBD, but it’s going to be better than a total crop loss if your entire crop goes hot.”