_Applied_  
_sciences_  
_Article_  
**Changes in Growth and Production of Non-Psychotropic Cannabinoids Induced by Pre-Sowing Treatment of Hemp Seeds with Cold Plasma, Vacuum and Electromagnetic Field**  
**[PERSON] 1, [PERSON] 1, [PERSON] 1, [PERSON] 1,**  
**[PERSON] 2, [PERSON] 3, [PERSON] 3,**  
**[PERSON] 4, [PERSON] 4 and [PERSON] 1,**  
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seed treatments are being used to increase seed quality and to stimulate germination [3,4]. In this respect, the effectiveness of physical stressors, such as low-temperature plasma (cold plasma (CP)) and electromagnetic fields (EMFs), has been intensively explored in the last several decades, and numerous studies concluded that such treatments can improve seed germination and enhance the production yields of various crops (reviewed in [5, 6, 7, 8, 9]). The majority of studies in this field are focused on germination. However, the importance of long-term observations has become clear by the much larger effects obtained in plant growth and biomass production. For example, it was recently reported that red clover seed treatment with CP and EMFs can increase the biomass by up to 40% [10].  
Industrial hemp (_Camabis sativa_) is a multi-use crop (e.g., fiber, food, pharmaceuticals, and bioenergy production) of high economic value [11, 12, 13]. However, only a few short-term studies [14, 15, 16] have been published on the effects of seed treatment with physical stressors on industrial hemp until now. Significant environmental benefits of hemp that are relevant for sustainable farming have been demonstrated, including the potential for soil phytoremediation, converting high amounts of atmospheric CO\({}_{2}\) into biomass, use in crop rotation, and the ability to suppress soil pathogens and weeds (reviewed in [17]). In addition, hemp is valued for the synthesis of a wide array of biologically active secondary metabolites (e.g., phytocannabinoids, terpen, and phenolic compounds) with pharmacological properties [18, 19, 20]. Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the most abundant phytocannabinoids in the majority of industrial hemp cultivars, but some of them biosynthesize cannabinoid (CBG) as the main constituent [19]. Among other cannabinoids, CBD, its precursor CBDA, and CBG are particularly valued as non-psychotropic substances with numerous biological effects and potential therapeutic uses, due to their anticonvulsant, anti-spasmodic, anxiolytic, anti-nausea, anti-rheumatoid arthritis, and neuroprotective properties [18, 19].  
Several studies reported earlier that pre-sowing seed treatment with CP and EMFs can stimulate the synthesis of secondary metabolites in the leaves or roots of different plants [10, 21, 22, 23]. Taking into account the rapidly rising demand for hemp biomass and pharmacologically important hemp products, we aimed to determine the effects of seed treatment with CP and EMFs on germination, biomass production, and plant growth in the field, as well as on the content of CBD and CBDA in the leaves and infloresences of female hemp plants. We intended to verify the hypothesis that hemp seed treatments can stimulate biomass production and CBDA (CBD) synthesis. Vacuum treatment was used as an additional control for low pressure CP treatment. The obtained results showed that, although CP and EMFs (but not the vacuum) stimulated hemp seed germination, EMFs strongly stimulated the growth of female plants and CP stimulated the growth of male plants, whereas only the vacuum treatment increased the amount of CBDA in female hemp infloresences.