USDA Study Shows Untapped Potential Of Hemp Roots In Pediatric Cancer Treatment

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is promoting a novel study suggesting that an often underutilized part of the hemp plant—its roots—may hold significant therapeutic potential, including in the treatment of pediatric cancer.

Government scientists at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) “redefined the value of roots in industrial hemp, providing new opportunities for industrial hemp growers and opening new avenues for pediatric cancer research,” the agency said in a press release this week.

The study, published in the Journal of Cannabis Research last year, discovered that there’s a component of hemp roots with four distinct compounds known as “neolignans” that scientists until now have not realized exist in the cannabis crop.

“We believe this new discovery offers industrial hemp growers a potential new revenue stream from a part of the plant that was previously overlooked,” Korey Brownstein, a research chemist at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, said.

“Unlike crops such as corn or soybeans, which have multiple uses, hemp has been limited in scope,” they said. “But if we treat hemp as a multi-use crop, we can expand its applications and market—paper, grain, fiber, and now, potentially, pharmaceutical compounds from the roots. The discovery of these compounds adds value to this commodity.”

While it’s well-known that hemp contains valuable properties as it relates to fibers and grains, as well as extracts like CBD, the roots of the crop “were not considered to hold significant value,” USDA said.

After identifying the unique chemical compound in the roots, however, researchers carried out a three-year study to determine whether there could be previously untapped utility in hemp. And working alongside scientists at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, they found the neolignans could have potential for pediatric cancer treatment.

Learn more about a groundbreaking study in which ARS scientists are redefining the value of roots in industrial hemp. Their research could provide new opportunities for industrial hemp growers and also open new avenues for pediatric cancer research. https://t.co/kQSlo5NsfUpic.twitter.com/ovbM3E5tzZ

— Agricultural Research Service (@USDA_ARS) January 14, 2026

Specifically, the researchers “found that these molecules showed moderate activity in killing pediatric cancer cells (cytotoxic effect) in the laboratory setting.”

“Refining and understanding the effect of this molecule on pediatric cancers will open new alternatives for children’s cancers that are unresponsive to current therapies,” USDA said, adding that this “marks the first time these specific neolignans have been isolated from hemp and linked to possessing cytotoxic effects on pediatric cancer cell lines.”

Further studies need to be conducted to validate the therapeutic efficacy of the hemp root compound, but Brownstein stressed that this could expand “the possibilities for using the whole industrial hemp plant.”

“By adding value to the roots, we’re giving farmers more stability and more reasons to invest in this emerging crop,” he said.

The study found that, of the four novel compounds that were tested, one in particular (M4) caused significant inhibition of cell survival in all four cancer cell lines in comparison to the control.”

“While our findings demonstrate the cytotoxic effects of hemp-derived compounds on multiple pediatric cancer cell lines, the underlying mechanisms driving these effects remain to be elucidated,” the researchers wrote. “Future studies will focus on detailed mechanistic investigations including cell cycle analysis, apoptosis and necrosis assays, and pathway-level interrogations to uncover the molecular basis of this cytotoxicity.”

“Though industrial hemp is more well-known for its cannabinoid content, it contains hundreds of other phytochemicals that may have uses in the functional food and pharmaceutical industry,” the study concluded. “Furthermore, utilizing each part of the hemp plant, including the roots, will reduce agricultural waste and provide additional value to growers.”

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Meanwhile, another scientific review recently found that CBD “holds substantial promise as an anti-tumor agent” in addition to its other anti-inflammatory properties.

The study follows a series of encouraging discoveries related to the medical properties of cannabidiol.

In 2025, for example, a paper published in the journal Pharmacology & Therapeutics, assessed a range of clinical and preclinical findings that the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs can be enhanced by medical marijuana.

Also last year, a study found that “patients with cancer using cannabis report significant improvements in cancer-related symptoms.”

Photo courtesy of Max Jackson.