Farmers across the North American continent have turned to turning hemp in droves since the stuff was legalized at the federal level in December 2018.
Still, until now it has been difficult to track just how many farmers are turning to the cannabis plant to buoy their yields and sales. Recent data collected and published by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture shows us the amount of farmland sown with hemp has truly exploded in the past year.
According to MSN, the number of acres planted with hemp went from 27,424 in August of 2018 to 128,320 the same time this year. [1]
That’s more than quadruple the acreage in a 12-month period, which shows just how excited residents of the U.S. are to get into the hemp game.
Cannabis farming brings in its wake a host of related industries, along with employment and opportunities for both entrepreneurs and customers.
Hemp and cannabis are most popular in the U.S. now for CBD, or cannabidiol, oils and products. CBD is a non-psychoactive compound from cannabis that offers many of the benefits of medical and recreational marijuana without the mental high.
Still, CBD isn’t the only option for hemp farmers, even though the cultivation of cannabis for CBD creates jobs extracting the compound, manufacturing mass market and boutique products, and nourishes a retail industry that is bound to enrich many Americans in coming years.
Hemp is also ideal for use in textiles and fabrics. Before being banned by the U.S. government, it was commonly used in rope, clothing and shipbuilding.
Some scientists — and industrialist Henry Ford — even used hemp in experimental plastics.
“There are a lot of things you can do on a farm, but there aren’t a lot of things you can do to make money,” Will Brownlow, a Kentucky farmer, told Quartz last year. “The plant is a weed, and it likes to grow.” [3]
For a more detailed run down of how regional farmers across America have adopted and adapted to hemp, check out the recent hemp farming round-up at the Nothing But Hemp blog. [2]
There, you’ll learn about farmers who have turned to hemp to assist as demand for tobacco products has fallen in recent years. Another reason many are turning to cannabis agriculture is the current trade standoff with China, which has long been a huge market for exports in crops.
Keep an eye on the Nothing But Hemp blog for all the updates you need on the hemp agriculture industry!
Sources
[1] https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/how-much-hemp-is-grown-in-the-us/ar-AAFHT8Y
[2] https://www.nothingbuthemp.net/post/hemp-agriculture-roundup-maine-nebraska-north-dakota-and-more
[3] https://qz.com/1483381/the-2018-farm-bill-could-make-hemp-the-next-tobacco/
