Industrial Hemp

Industrial Hemp

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

Growing hemp in Washington has been illegal due to its close relation to marijuana, but now that recreational marijuana has been legalized within the state the subject of growing industrial hemp as a profitable agriculture product has picked up. In fact, a recent hearing was held in the Senate regarding the possibility of making industrial hemp a new crop in the state. State Senator Jim Honeyford comments.

HONEYFORD: We had an interesting hearing in Agriculture the other day dealing with industrial hemp. It’s a product that is outlawed even though the THC level is so low it has no value for those that use marijuana, but there are all kinds of products that are available, like hemp seed that you can sprinkle on your cereals. I haven’t tried it yet, but I thought I would try it.

Honeyford talks about the growing and producing of hemp.

HONEYFORD: Hemp is grown in a straight-line row and they grow probably eight to ten feet tall and when they’re harvested they’re of course cut down and then materials - burlap bags, rope and other products - you have hemp seed oil, soaps and body lotions that are made with hemp seed oil, and of course for an agricultural product there are all kinds of different types of materials that come from hemp. They make paper out of industrial hemp. Those are all possibilities of being developed and may give our farmers another crop.

Industrial hemp farming and study bills, SB 5222 and SB 6214, have both been referred to Ways & Means.

That’s Washington Ag Today.

I’m Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.