[6] Infected crops transmit the virus in a number of ways, but in most cases transmittal requires physical contact.

Hemp mosaic virus is particularly resilient and can infect the soil through the winter and into the following growing seasons for years.

Discoloration usually manifests as yellow or grey mottling that can form a spotted, mosaic, or streak pattern.

As long as the surrounding temperature remains below approximately 40 degrees Celsius, hemp mosaic virus can sustain its stable form.

Greenhouses and botanical gardens would provide the most favorable condition for the virus to spread, due to the high population density of possible hosts and the constant temperature throughout the year.

The virus "occurs naturally in leguminous plants in Australia, India, Nigeria, and the United States" and has been described with a variety of names based on the host from which it was isolated.