Use caution when considering growing industrial hemp

    The next couple of years will be very challenging for area farmers and ranchers as commodity prices continue to be weak. Cash market prices that just a few years ago might have offered a small profit will not cover the cost of production today. Many agricultural producers are looking for more profitable alternatives to traditional crop and livestock enterprises.
    One such alternative that many farmers are considering is industrial hemp. Industrial hemp shares the same botanical name as marijuana (Cannabis sativa). The major difference between industrial hemp and marijuana is the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content. THC is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that produces the “high.” According to the 2014 U.S. Farm Bill, industrial hemp must contain less than 0.3 percent THC on a dry weight basis.
    The first step a potential industrial hemp grower must take is to register with the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Registration costs include an application fee, plus a per-acre fee for outdoor production or a per-square-foot fee for indoor production. Producers must file a preplanting, planting and harvest report with the CDA. Industrial hemp fields and grow sites are subject to random inspection and THC content testing by the CDA at the grower’s expense. Fields or grow sites that have industrial hemp samples that test higher than 0.3 percent THC content are subject to reporting to law enforcement agencies by the CDA.
 

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