Industrial Hemp Is Poised For A Comeback, But Hemp Seeds Hard To Come By

By Jon Kalish
Source: hereandnow.wbur.org


Hemp can be refined into products including foods, rope, cloth, paper and fuel. (Jon Kalish)

For the first time in decades, industrial hemp crops were planted in Kentucky, Colorado and Vermont this spring. A dozen other states have passed legislation in support of hemp farming, and the latest farm bill eased restrictions on cultivation in some states.

Industrial hemp could be poised for a comeback in the U.S., but there are a couple of roadblocks. Hemp remains a controlled substance, according to the federal government, which says it is illegal to grow it or import viable hemp seeds for planting.

Still, some farmers are willing to take the risk. Reporter Jon Kalish visited some new hemp patches sprouting in Vermont and has this report.

Listen to the story here: hereandnow.wbur.org