patent

(June 25, 2019. Fort Collins, CO. ) Today New West Genetics (NWG) announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office has allowed the Company’s patent claims for novel hemp varieties.  This patent is the first to claim commercial hemp varieties that combine market valued traits with adaption for large-scale field production.  A snapshot of those traits includes enhanced cannabinoids and terpene compositions, coupled with stable low THC content to mitigate regulatory risk. Years of research are required to successfully demonstrate patentability of crop traits.  Yet with the historic hemp prohibition in the US, active commercial breeding by crop scientists did not occur prior to 2014.  As CEO Wendy Mosher explained, “We launched our research in 2014, and utilized intensive phenotyping and a very narrow selection filter over multiple generations.  That foundation enabled us to file a first-of-its-kind patent application. We have closely watched this patent progress through the examination pipeline; from provisional filing to published application, and from office action to the notice of allowable claims.  This milestone further cements NWG’s first-mover status and demonstrates our dedication to data-based improvements that move hemp into a viable commercial option for agriculture.” All of NWG’s crop varieties are bred traditionally and informed by whole-genome analysis; resulting in high yielding, precision bred products that are made without transgenic (GMO) technologies.  Rich Fletcher, the lead inventor on the patent and NWG’s Director of Breeding noted “More than ten generations of work and data were incorporated into this patent filing, which defines genetics that are novel [...]