OLLI Talks: Insects and Mites Associated with Cannabis Sativa (DRAKE HALL)

No other plant grown in the US has a more bizarre history of culture than Cannabis sativa.  It is a crop of multiple potential uses, including fiber, seed, and pharmaceutical uses. Because of the use of some strains to produce compounds (e.g., THC) considered to be regulated drugs, there was a 70+ year void on almost all research on the crop, which was only eased following the passage of state laws such as Colorado’s Amendment 64 in 2012 and subsequent federal changes in how this plant is regulated.  Among other things, these actions have enabled significant progress in understanding which insects are associated with this plant, and there are many.  Few are damaging to the plant, and their potential to cause injury depends on the type of crop being grown (indoors/outdoors, fiber/seed/pharmaceutical use).  A discussion of all the insects on this crop, and, where appropriate, thoughts on their management, will be the focus of this class. 

Whitney Cranshaw is an Emeritus Professor of Entomology at Colorado State University, where he has worked since 1983.  During this time, he has conducted a wide-ranging Extension/Research/Teaching program with the primary focus of improving the understanding of and effective management of insects of horticultural crops (vegetables/fruits, flowers, trees/shrubs, turfgrass, hemp). This work included the first descriptions of the arthropods associated with hemp in North America and the identification of management strategies for those species that were damaging to the crop. Although retired from CSU in July 2020, he has not retired from “bugs” and continues to write, speak with diverse audiences, support websites and listserv discussion groups, and conduct research on projects of interest. 

Notes

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