Purdue University Researchers See Hemp As A Crop With Great Economic Potential

[Robert Celt]

Hemp from marijuana plants can be used in a variety of eco-friendly ways: for fiber, food and other products. Purdue University researchers see it as a crop with great economic potential. Last year they planted the state's first legal hemp crop in decades as a result of a 2013 federal farm bill, that allowed universities to grow hemp for agricultural research. Indiana lawmakers passed the hemp seed bill, giving the State seed commissioner legal authority to license Indiana farmers to grow industrial hemp–if and when the federal government stops treating it like a Schedule 1 drug. Proponents foresee Congress ending a federal ban on U.S. hemp production within a year. Then Indiana farmers could grow marijuana as a cash or cover crop, but they would not be allowed to harvest seed for sale or reuse. Farmers would also be subject to random crop tests to ensure they contain no more than .3 percent THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana. Many believe the link between hemp and pot makes lawmakers wary. Justin Swanson of Indiana's Hemp Industries Association, says "We have to separate hemp from marijuana in people's minds." He believes it's a matter of educating people about the difference between hemp and the oil from the cannabis sativa plant, which Indiana classifies as an illegal Schedule 1 narcotic.

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Full Article: Purdue University Researchers See Hemp As A Crop With Great Economic Potential
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