Prospective hemp farmers gathered in Wilberforce last week for Central State鈥檚 second annual 鈥淗emp Field Day.鈥� They saw the University鈥檚 hemp research plots and listened to experts speak about the licensing process and the challenges of being a grower.
There are three types of hemp crops: grain, fiber and metabolite. Metabolite hemp is grown for its Cannabidiol, or CBD, content.
There鈥檚 hemp grain, often sold as hemp hearts in grocery stores. And then there鈥檚 hemp fiber, which is strong enough to replace metal and glass as a building material.
Central State Professor Craig Schluttenhoffer says it鈥檚 possible to turn a profit growing hemp on fewer acres than other crops, like corn and soy, but, 鈥淚t's a tricky crop. It's not for everyone. There are opportunities, so it's not complete doom and gloom, but it's not the easy cash that people were looking at a couple years ago and thinking this is a get rich quick scheme, saves the family farm. 鈥�
Schluttenhoffer says prices for metabolite hemp are lower than they once were due to . There鈥檚 also significant risk: if Ohio Department of Agriculture tests show that a farmer's hemp has too much THC, the chemical that gives marijuana its 鈥渉igh鈥�, the whole crop must be destroyed.
Environmental reporter Chris Welter is a corps member with , a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
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