“Hemp is a crop that connects Kentucky's past to its future,” wrote Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles in his letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue when he submitted Kentucky’s State Hemp Plan following the passing of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, more commonly known as the Farm Bill. “Kentucky is emerging as an epicenter for the American rapidly growing hemp industry.”
The 2018 Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp production in the United States, and Kentucky was the first state to submit a plan for how it will implement a growing program. Kentucky State University's (KYSU) Land Grant Program has participated in the state's Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program since its inception and continues to be one of the primary research locations in the state.
state's Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program since its inception and continues to be one of the primary research locations in the state. U.S.C.§ 5940) and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's pilot program laid the groundwork for the state to become a leader in the industrial hemp industry.
Kentucky was the top producer of hemp in the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries with thousands of acres of hemp in production. Yields reached their peak around 1917 with more than 18,000 acres of the crop growing primarily in central Kentucky. Hemp production declined in the late 20th century and it was classified as illegal to grow by the federal government under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Hemp was once again legalized as a controlled substance crop under the passing of the 2014 Farm Bill (KRS 260.850-260.869, and 7
In 2017, KYSU's Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm was part of 3,200 acres of the crop planted by licensed growers across the state. In the 2018 growing season, Kentucky more than doubled that acreage. By removing hemp from the list of controlled substances and directing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make hemp growers eligible to participate in federal farm programs on an equal footing with other crops, the new Farm Bill has laid the groundwork for full-scale commercialization of this promising crop.
KYSU researchers are currently studying hemp in diversified organic crop rotations. Dr. Shawn Lucas, associate professor of organic agriculture, leads the hemp research programs. Other projects include organic hemp variety trials studying strains of the crop that have been previously untested in Kentucky and a research trial investigating aquaponics production of hemp for non-intoxicating cannabinoid (CBD) compounds that may have use as health supplements. Hemp research at Kentucky State University aims to find best production practices and best uses for the crop to help establish a viable market for farmers as the hemp industry grows across the country.
Following the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, implementation plans and regulation remains with the state departments of agriculture. Kentucky Department of Agriculture's Hemp Research Pilot Program laid the groundwork for how its State Plan will run. Growers can apply for licenses to grow hemp by visiting kyagr.com/hemp.