Hemp Planting for Spring

With today's Fruit Grower Report, I'm Bob Larson. The planting of industrial grade hemp could begin as soon as the Spring of 2017.

That's the word from Washington Hemp Coordinator Emily

Febles who says it's a strong likelihood ...

EMILY FEBLES-HS-7 = 23 sec ... "We are very much hoping for that. We are very much working towards that timeline. Obviously, it's such a new program in the state that things could change that timeline. We're working with the federal government so having to work through that process can sometimes change timelines. And then of course the state rule making process, but we're very hopeful for a Spring 2017 planting."

Febles says obtaining seeds depends on approval from the DEA which could lead to possible delays ...

EMILY FEBLES-HS-9 = 26 sec ... "We knew some of the obstacles and challenges that we would be facing and we accounted for those in our timeline and so far, nothing has really impacted that timeline other than the things we sort of anticipated. So, unless something changes in the next few months with the legislative season starting up again or something with the red tape with the federal government or something like that, we're still very hopeful that 2017 we'll have some industrial hemp planted here in Washington."

Febles says if all goes well, the state tentatively plans to issue hemp licenses to private growers and processors which she expects will all be done within Washington.

Listen tomorrow when we discuss the uses of industrial hemp and the difference between it and recreational marijuana.