Hemp in SC: State is seeking more farmers for industrial production

By Eric Connor
Source: greenvilleonline.com

 
One of 1,200 hemp plant clones sits in the ground at Franny's Farm in Leichester (Photo: Paul Eggers/paul@newsrecordandsentinel.com)


The first crops of industrial hemp in South Carolina are coming to fruition, and the state government is expanding a pilot research program to grow even more.

The state Department of Agriculture is accepting applications from farmers through the end of Friday to participate in the newly sanctioned industry.

The idea is to continue research into whether the derivative of the cannabis sativa plant — a derivative of the marijuana plant but distinctly non-narcotic — can be a money-maker that helps diversify the state's economy.

This is the first year that the state allowed growing as part of a pilot program to test the plant's viability as a cash crop in concert with approved research institutions such as Clemson University.

Twenty farmers were selected through an application process — former Clemson football coach Danny Ford was one of three in the Upstate — to grow up to 20 acres of hemp, which can be used as fabric, paper, medicinal oils, food, car parts and insulation, among others.


For next year, the program will double to 40 farmers who with an approved permit will be able to cultivate 40 acres each.

There are specific requirements for candidates:

* must be a South Carolina resident

* pass state and federal background checks by the State Law Enforcement Division

* have a signed letter of intent with an industrial hemp manufacturer/processor

* have a signed letter of intent with a qualifying college or university

* submit GPS coordinates for the land where industrial hemp will be grown

The program is a product of the state Legislature's move in 2017 to remove hemp from under the same classification as marijuana and open research into its uses.

The vote followed the 2014 federal Farm Bill that made an exception for "industrial hemp" within the laws that govern controlled substances.

The state's embrace of hemp hasn't translated into the legalization of marijuana as has happened in dozens of states nationwide.

This past session, state legislators didn't advance a bill that would have recognized marijuana for medicinal use.

An application form is available at www.agriculture.sc.gov.