The North Carolina Industrial Hemp Commission will hold a public meeting for “an update on the future direction of the NC hemp program.” This is a change from recent meetings, the majority of which were scheduled to review Applications for permits to grow under the Pilot Program.
This meeting is open to the public. Join the conference call on Thursday, August 5, 2021, at 2pm via computer, telephone, smart phone, or other device. Access to the conference call at go.ncsu.edu/industrialhemp or call 929.205.6099 or 699.900.6833.
The meeting ID is 922-7514-6803 and the passcode is 323705.
Participants will be prompted to enter their name and email address to enter the meeting via the website, or prompted for unique participant ID for the call (press # to access the call).
Hemp growing in North Carolina is managed under the agricultural Pilot Project. Farmers can apply to grow as long as they meet the requirements. Permits must be approved before a person/entity can grow hemp.
See more about the state’s Industrial Hemp Pilot Project at www.ncagr.gov/hemp.
The NC General Assembly passed Senate Bill 313 in 2015, allowing the creation of the Industrial Hemp Commission to develop the rules and licensing structure necessary to stay within federal laws. The Industrial Hemp Commission adopted temporary rules in February 2017, setting up the application requirements and process.
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Hemp, a no high (low THC) cousin of marijuana, and is a highly-useful plant. It is legal to grow hemp at the Federal level, but in NC a Permit is required.
Products that can be made from hemp include building materials, oils, medicines, food, fiber, and health-and-beauty products. Hemp use for products such as toilet paper and hemp “lumber” could potentially save trees/forests by reducing logging and destruction. Hemp plants can also be used to “clean” some contaminants/pollutants from soil.
Hemp’s medicinal uses are being studied, more since restrictions relaxed and hemp was made legal nationally, with hope for applications/treatment for a wide variety of human and animal health issues/diseases.
Source: NCDA&CS
Ed. Note: Hemp information added by editor. Originally published July 27, 2021. Updated August 4.