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Oregon State University Receives $2.5M to Study Hemp

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[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]regon State University (OSU) will receive additional funding for its Global Hemp Information Center in Corvallis, Oregon, according to a Jan. 13 announcement. According to the Corvallis Gazette-Times, the office of Sen. Jeff Merkley announced that the federal government will be appropriating $2.5 million for OSU’s hemp program.

The funding is part of a larger appropriations bill that passed the U.S. Senate and House near the end of 2019. That appropriations bill set aside nearly $20 million for hemp-related projects, as well as $35 million for other irrigation projects.

Organizers were happy to witness the U.S. government’s commitment to promote critical hemp research. “We were pleased to see the appropriation get approved as it shows the federal government’s confidence in our work,” said Alan Sams, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at OSU.

The team behind the center plans on working with other universities and “will foster collaborative research to support the development of this new industry,” Sams said.

The Global Hemp Information Center and other hemp projects involve over 40 OSU faculty representing 19 academic disciplines. The center was first introduced in June 2019. The research could eventually lead to better and safer health and nutrition products, as well as textiles and building materials.

Several months ago, Oregon State University alumni Seth and Eric Crawford, who are behind Oregon CBD, donated $1 million to the center to promote hemp research and genetics.

Thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp research is possible with fewer limitations and restrictions at the federal level. With better hemp research, progress can finally move forward in the hemp industry. While hemp research is flourishing, hemp cultivators are concerned over the future of the industry as new draft regulations involving the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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