Robert Celt
New Member
Hemp and cannabis research was illegal until 2014 when Congress allowed it in the Farm Bill. A little-noticed provision of the new medical marijuana law in Florida allows state universities to conduct research. That's a first for Florida, but not for other states such as Kentucky, which is leaps and bounds ahead of Florida when it comes to this emerging industry.
Kentucky is expected to have 4,000 acres of hemp growing this year, and while Florida is slow to embrace the hemp and marijuana industry, the advantage it has over other states is climate. Here, farmers could sow as many as three crops a year, while others are limited to one or two.
Later this month farmers in Kentucky will put their third hemp crop into the ground. The state's agriculture commissioner sees a bright future.
"We know it will grow well in our state," Commissioner Ryan Quarrels said. "We have a long history in our state, but we want to see what sort of products and processors we can attract here and approach industrial hemp as an economic development initiative."
Florida is hoping to get into the action. The next to last line of the medical marijuana bill this year allows Florida colleges and universities with agricultural programs to research hemp and cannabis. Florida A&M is ready to jump on the bandwagon.
"What we're going to do is do research on it to make our industry more competitive, make our industry more effective and more ecological sound," Tim Moore, FAMU's research vice president, said. "Those are the traits we'll bring to the table."
Just outside Lexington, a hemp research campus has taken over an old tobacco facility,
Politicians, farmers and researchers there believe the future of hemp is so bright that it will eventually be the biggest cash crop in Kentucky.
Another warehouse is stacked floor to ceiling with plastic containers of crushed hemp, grown on just 100 acres and ready to be processed into hemp oil or CBD -- better know as Charlotte's web.
"It's better than or equal to in soybean production or corn production in terms of net dollars per acre," said hemp processor Andy Graves, who is also the CEO at Atalo Holdings.
Kentucky is one of more than two dozen states that are actively researching hemp, which means Florida has some catching up to do.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Florida Universities, Colleges Allowed To Conduct Hemp, Cannabis Research
Author: Mike Vasilinda
Photo Credit: None found
Website: News4Jax
Kentucky is expected to have 4,000 acres of hemp growing this year, and while Florida is slow to embrace the hemp and marijuana industry, the advantage it has over other states is climate. Here, farmers could sow as many as three crops a year, while others are limited to one or two.
Later this month farmers in Kentucky will put their third hemp crop into the ground. The state's agriculture commissioner sees a bright future.
"We know it will grow well in our state," Commissioner Ryan Quarrels said. "We have a long history in our state, but we want to see what sort of products and processors we can attract here and approach industrial hemp as an economic development initiative."
Florida is hoping to get into the action. The next to last line of the medical marijuana bill this year allows Florida colleges and universities with agricultural programs to research hemp and cannabis. Florida A&M is ready to jump on the bandwagon.
"What we're going to do is do research on it to make our industry more competitive, make our industry more effective and more ecological sound," Tim Moore, FAMU's research vice president, said. "Those are the traits we'll bring to the table."
Just outside Lexington, a hemp research campus has taken over an old tobacco facility,
Politicians, farmers and researchers there believe the future of hemp is so bright that it will eventually be the biggest cash crop in Kentucky.
Another warehouse is stacked floor to ceiling with plastic containers of crushed hemp, grown on just 100 acres and ready to be processed into hemp oil or CBD -- better know as Charlotte's web.
"It's better than or equal to in soybean production or corn production in terms of net dollars per acre," said hemp processor Andy Graves, who is also the CEO at Atalo Holdings.
Kentucky is one of more than two dozen states that are actively researching hemp, which means Florida has some catching up to do.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Florida Universities, Colleges Allowed To Conduct Hemp, Cannabis Research
Author: Mike Vasilinda
Photo Credit: None found
Website: News4Jax
