CBD or cannabidiol is an active ingredient found in cannabis. It is extracted from the hemp plant, and is now commonly used for its pain-relieving properties. Despite being an active component in marijuana, CBD alone does not cause the intoxicating or “high” effect.
The CBD industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years with the s average CBD yield now being 1,520 pounds per acre. That said, this number isn’t universal since there are several factors that determine the amount of CBD produced per acre of hemp, such as:
- The concentration of CBD in the hemp plant
- the farming techniques used
- The potency of each plant
- the extraction formula
How Much Hemp Can You Grow Per Acre?
The amount of hemp that you can grow per acre depends on the size of the hemp cultivar you choose, the irrigation practices you employ, and the amount of space you want to leave between each plant.
Since sunlight is so important for hemp, care must be taken to ensure they’re not planted too close to each other. Ideally, you should space them at least three or five feet apart depending on the size. This means you can grow between 1,500-2,800 hemp plants per acre. The highest concentration of CBD is found in the hemp flowers, with unfertilized female plants producing as much as 10% of the flower’s dry weight.
How Much CBD Can You Extract From a Single Hemp Plant?
The average yield of CBD from a single hemp plant is around one pound per plant, according to the National Hemp Association. Each plant contains up to 10% CBD content. With up to 3,000 hemp plants per acre, and each plant producing around a pound of crude CBD oil, farmers can expect a sizable yield. However, the key factors that affect this amount include:
- The type of extraction method used
- The quality of soil and the farming methods
- The type of hemp product (flower only or hemp biomass)
- CBD potency
How Much CBD Can You Extract Per Acre of Hemp?
Based on these estimates, you can expect to extract between 1,500 and 3,000 pounds of CBD crude oil per acre of hemp, though it depends on the efficiency of farming methods in use. When refined, this figure decreases, falling between 800 and 980 pounds of crude oil per acre. It takes around 17 pounds of CBD biomass to produce a liter of CBD oil.
