Move Over Marijuana: Hemp Had a Good Year Too

More states than ever are opening up to industrial hemp. Eight out of nine cannabis decriminalization ballot measures passing during the 2016 general election — it was a banner year for cannabis. But while pot puns proliferated in the headlines, marijuana’s botanical cousin saw decidedly less coverage. Nonetheless, hemp had its milestones too: four states passed some sort of hemp-specific legislation in 2016, several hemp programs were enacted, and three out of four successful adult-use initiatives included hemp in their texts. Here’s a look at some of the highlights for industrial hemp in 2016. Colorado Colorado was an early leader in industrial hemp cultivation, with the state setting up a regulatory framework in 2014. But when farmers started growing the newly legal crop, they ran into a bit of trouble: their crops had to contain THC levels under 0.3 percent. If their plants produced more of the cannabinoid than was allowed, they had to be destroyed. To help farmers avoid this situation, Colorado’s Department of Agriculture produced the nation’s first certified hemp seeds in 2016. There are currently six varieties of hemp seeds certified by the state for their consistent low THC production. All hemp-legal states (except for West Virginia) set the THC limit of hemp at 0.3 percent. Thankfully, farmers in any state that allows industrial hemp cultivation can now purchase qualifying seeds from Colorado. West Virginia In West Virginia, cannabis qualifies as hemp if it has no more than 1 percent THC. In May 2016, the state’s first cannabis…

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