Hundreds Sign Up to Grow Hemp in Virginia
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]F[/dropcap]or the first time since it was banned in 1937, hemp is growing in Virginia, and as of July, more than 800 growers have registered to grow the crop with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS).
The number of growers has grown to ten times its original since March, when lawmakers in Virginia amended the state’s hemp laws to fall in line with the new regulations set by the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized industrial hemp.
Elaine Lidholm, director of communications at VDACS said if the farmers intend to plant what they told the department they would plant; there will be over 8,500 acres of hemp in the state this season. The licensees range from farmers looking to diversify their crops to first-time farmers specifically working with hemp.
“We have nephews here on the farm, and I’m hoping that by adding another crop, another way to make money, that it will actually benefit the next generation more than the current generation,” farmer Glenn Rodes said.
Until recently, Virginia prohibited the processing of products containing hemp-derived extracts, including CBD oil, for human consumption. Earlier this month, VDACS announced Governor Ralph Northam instructed VDACS “to treat hemp-derived extracts intended for human consumption as approved food additives and to place qualifying Registered Industrial Hemp Processors under food safety inspection so that inspected and approved processors may manufacture a hemp-derived extract intended for human consumption.”
“In the absence of federal oversight, the Northam administration has provided a path for Virginia to have some oversight over the production of the extracts,” said Erin Williams, senior policy analyst with VDACS.
West Virginia is also experiencing a growth in hemp farmers in the state, with the number of hemp licenses issued increasing from 46 last year to 158 this year. The Agriculture Department also said the acreage used to grow hemp increased from 155 acres last year to 1,532 acres this year.
