Since the Farm Bill was passed in 2018, Hemp based CBD has been made legal in all the 50 states of America. Hemp farming is legal now and due to its growing popularity, many farmers would like to get into it.
The CBD extracted from these plants are very valuable in more ways than one and can be used for a wide range of purposes. They are used for making medicines, especially for pain management. They are also used in beauty products and various other things. Given the growing demand of CBD, hemp farming has gained popularity. If you are thinking of hemp farming, there are various things you should know about it to make it a successful venture.
Here are the things you need to know about hemp farming:
#1 Is Hemp Farming Legal?
The first question that comes to mind on many people is Hemp legal? In 2013, Colorado became the first state to legalize the production of industrial hemp. Before that there was a complete ban on the production of hemp. In 2018, the Farm Bill was passed, which made hemp production legal in all the states. With that, the CBD extracted from the hemp too became legal. Hemp belongs to the cannabis plant species and has much less amount of THC than the marijuana, which has higher amount of THC. The point to remember is that THC is responsible for making people high.
#2 What is CBD?
Most of the hemp production is done for the CBD. It is a compound found in the hemp plant and is very useful. The market is flooded with CBD products and its demand is only growing. The CBD is extracted from the female hemp plant, which is also a popular dietary supplement. The CBD oil is one of the most popular CBD products as it has Omega features like the Omega 3 found in the fish oil. CBD can be extracted from marijuana as well, but it has higher THC level which is why Hemp is preferred. As a hemp farmer, you need to take care of the fact that your CBD must not have more than 0.3 THC level in it.
#3 How to get into Hemp Business
The Farm Bill did legalize the production of hemp on industrial scale, but many states are yet to legalize it. So, if you want to get into hemp farming then you will need to be in the states where it is legally allowed. There are nine states like Iowa, which has not yet legalized the hemp production. States like Colorado and Kentucky already have hemp production legalized and does not need much work. The other states will have their own plans and system to implement the bill. Get to know what states have allowed the hemp production before you decide on getting into the hem business.
#4 Where to get the Seeds
Seeds are very important for the production of high-quality hemp. It is important that the hemp should not have more than 0.3 THC level. Most of the seeds are imported from Canada and Europe. But the challenge remains as the plants should not exceed the 0.3 THC level. The THC level goes high, it becomes marijuana, which is illegal under the law. As a result, the crops may have to be destroyed. Research are being done and efforts are being made to create new type of hemp plant with less amount of THC in them. Till then the hemp farmers will have to look for the high-quality seeds and ensure that they do not exceed the 0.3 THC level.
#5 How the Hemp Plants are Grown?
Hemp plant is grown differently than the other plants. For the production of CBD, 1,000 to 1,600 plants per acre are planted. The production of hemp for CBD is much less than the hemp grown for mass market products like textiles and bio plastics. Equipment for the production of hemp for CBD is same as any other framing method, but there a few differences.
#6 Future of Hemp Based CBD?
Hemp is already a popular product as it is used for various things like protein products, textiles and more. With the growing popularity of CBD, the hemp framing will only grow in the future. The hemp farming is a promising area and as the technology improves, there will be definitely increase in the production of quality hemp and CBD.
The Bottom-Line
Hemp framing is gaining popularity thanks to the growing popularity of the CBD and its products. It has now become legal and more people are trying to get into the business. If you are a farmer and want to know about hemp farming, these are some of the important things you must know.