I know that I recently wrote a blog that featured news clips about hemp and CBD. I’m going to do it again. But first I want to tell you about a fascinating book I read recently. The title is “Lab Girl,” written by scientist Hope Jahren. Her thing is plants. In it she talked about how so relatively few seeds ever actually become plants, and she describes the arduous process they go through to root and grow. Trees in particular have a tough row to hoe, and they take years and years to reach maturity. Which brings me to the point of why I’m telling you this. You see hemp can do anything that trees can do, in less time. We’re destroying forests, and they don’t have time to grow back to fill the need we have for timber and paper. Trees need C02 to thrive, and they give off oxygen in return. Without trees our air quality is going downhill and we need them.
I know in the past, I’ve touted the value of hemp as a replacement for a lot of what we rely on trees to do. Guess what. Here I go again. Look what I found in the news.
Person County farmers testing hemp as NC’s next cash crop
A group of North Carolina farmers has decided to ditch their tobacco production and replace it with hemp. It’s probably the state’s first commercial industrial hemp production. A change in the law in 2014, that recently took effect, made agricultural production of industrial hemp possible. The farmers expect to create jobs and use abandoned tobacco facilities to increase profitability for local farms.
Could Florida farmers soon be cashing in on hemp?
The University of Florida and Florida A&M recently got the green light to start researching hemp. This is good news for farmers who are casting about for crops other than citrus to cash in on. It could be a financial boon for farmers who can continue to grow their usual crops as well as hemp, which is fast-growing and can grow in almost any soil.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to treat hemp like other NY crops
Governor Cuomo is making a late-session play to ensure that hemp is treated without the drama like any other crop in New York. The legislation would also require the state’s economic-development branch to consider industrial hemp for research and business funding, which could further clarify its health and economic benefits.
It’s heartening to see the tides of change around perception of hemp and CBD. All I can say is it’s about time.