Farmers are buying into industrial hemp, with acreage devoted to the crop increasing along with production, and Colorado leading the way.
Westword reports:
…hemp farmers are getting the acreage – 23,343 acres, to be exact, according to a new study by Vote Hemp, an organization dedicated to advancing the industrial hemp industry. And which state is leading the pack? Colorado, by far.
Vote Hemp just released the results of its study measuring the number of acres on which hemp is grown across the country. The report found that 33 states have enacted some form of hemp-specific legislation; nineteen of those have created licenses to grow hemp for industrial or research purposes. Among those growing, Colorado accounts for nearly a third of the legal hemp acreage in the country in 2017, at 7,500 acres. Oregon(3,469), North Dakota (3,020), Kentucky (3,000) and New York (2,000) rounded out the top five.
“We’ve seen hemp cultivation significantly expand in the U.S. in 2017, with over double the number of acres planted in hemp compared to last year and the addition of four more states with hemp pilot programs,” Vote Hemp president Eric Steenstra says. “The majority of states have implemented hemp farming laws, in clear support of this crop and its role in diversifying and making more sustainable our agricultural economy.”
The increases aren’t surprising. As more people learn about the benefits of industrial hemp. The plant’s fibers can be used in everything from rope to clothing.
CBD Oil made from hemp has also been shown to have numerous beneficial effects. The oil is rich in nutrients and some studies have shown it could help ease some medical conditions such as seizures. For more information on hemp oil, click here.
As for why Colorado is leading the way in hemp production, here’s Westword:
Like the retail marijuana industry, the hemp field has moved faster in Colorado than in other states because voters approved legalization in 2012, according to industrial hemp farmer Gabe Rimey. Unwilling to deal with the stiff regulations around retail marijuana, Rimey founded Homestead Organics in 2016 to get in on the hemp trade, building a greenhouse in Douglas County where he grows CBD-rich strains of hemp.
