Colorado Grows Double the Hemp that Other States Produce

It’s no secret that Colorado is a top cannabis producer, but they are also one of the most productive growers of hemp in the United States.

According to Vail Daily, Colorado grows almost 40 percent of all the hemp in the U.S., more than twice the amount of what other states produce. An official report from Vote Hemp claims that hemp cultivation more than doubled in 2017, from 9,770 acres throughout the entire country in 2016 to 23,346 acres.

“It is growing by leaps and bounds, and it’s the non-THC derived products that are leading that growth,” explained Scott Hunn, owner of Hunn Planning and Policy in Eagle County. “The medical and recreational marijuana business is really hard, it’s tough. The margins are razor thin, and the regulations change.”

Like most places in Colorado, Eagle County does not regulate hemp like cannabis or any sort of controlled substance. It is simply treated like an agricultural crop, meaning that it can be grown and harvested easily without a lot of bureaucracy and red tape.

After Colorado, Kentucky comes in second in terms of hemp production at 3,100 acres, Oregon in third with 3,469 acres, followed by North Dakota and New York with 2,000 acres each. Three dozen states so far have lifted restrictions on hemp production and allowed it to be treated like an agricultural crop, which should lead to even more hemp production.

Since hemp can be used to make thousands of products, including clothing and housing materials, this is definitely very beneficial. There is already a nationwide movement to reschedule hemp. Before long, this will surely be one of the country’s leading cash crops.