Soil Conditions Can Dramatically Reshape Hemp’s Cannabinoid Profile, Study Finds

OG article by Anthony Martinelli

December 2 2025

A study from Pennsylvania State University reveals that soil conditions profoundly influence hemp's cannabinoid profile in outdoor cultivation, with conventional tillage and no-till cover crop fields yielding significant variations in CBD, CBDA, CBG, and THC levels across Tangerine and CBG Stem Cell cultivars. CBD in Tangerine was 1.5 times higher in conventional fields, while CBG Stem Cell produced twice as much in no-till. CBDA levels surged over sixfold in no-till Tangerine and doubled in conventional CBG Stem Cell. CBG reached nearly four times higher in no-till CBG Stem Cell, and THC spiked sixfold in conventional Tangerine. Terpenes differed only in tilled fields. This first evidence highlights soil's role in altering hemp chemistry, emphasizing its importance for consistent cannabinoid production in cultivation.