IndustryDevelopments | International & State Washington state State regulators said marijuana processors cannot convert hemp-derived CBD into delta-9 THC in the legal cannabis market, a move that is likely to be welcomed by MJ cultivators who feared the practice involving federally legal hemp would undermine their own businesses. The decision by the state's Liquor and Cannabis Board is intended to clear up confusion around the legality of hemp-derived CBD converted to delta-9 THC in the licensed market. West Virginia Federal agriculture authorities have awarded $200,000 to a West Virginia University professor to study what leads to inconsistent levels of THC in hemp plants. Michael Gutensohn, an assistant professor of horticulture, will collaborate with two former WVU faculty members for the project, which includes seeing what genetic and environmental factors lead to THC accumulation in plants. The study is funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which is a research arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Gutensohn says evidence that environment plays a role in a hemp plant's THC level has been circumstantial and not scientifically analyzed.