What started as a fact-finding trip to learn about a potential investment opportunity turned out to be a full-blown adventure on a hemp farm in Homestead, Florida. If you don’t know much about hemp, you are in for a quick primer on the subject as I share some of the cool stuff that I learned this weekend.
What is Hemp?
Hemp is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant species that is grown specifically for industrial use. Cannabis has two primary species: hemp and marijuana. The hemp plant is similar to the marijuana plant in appearance, but it has one major difference: the level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
THC is the compound in cannabis that gets you high, and legal hemp plants can only have .3 percent THC or less. Sorry kids, no getting high on hemp!
While hemp contains lower concentrations of THC, it contains higher concentrations of cannabidiol (CBD), which decreases or eliminates the “high” effect.
Industrial Uses of Hemp
Hemp is a legal but regulated agricultural commodity and has many uses in many of the products we use and depend on every day. CBD oil can be extracted from hemp leaves and flowers. The oil extracted can be used to treat pain, help with insomnia, alleviate cancer-related symptoms, and reduce anxiety and depression.
Hemp fibers are used for textiles, paper, clothing, and building materials. Hemp is used in products ranging from topical beauty treatments to tinctures and sprays that can be taken orally. It is truly a super plant.
Hemp Farming
Thanks to recent federal and state legislation changes, it’s now legal to grow hemp in several states. When the 2014 Farm Bill was passed, states got the go-ahead to grow hemp for research purposes and the development of the Hemp Farms nationwide.
It never occurred to me that there would be a hemp farm in my own backyard! In fact, it grows great in warm weather, and South Florida is one of the best places to grow hemp.
Hemp seeds are sown directly into the soil where you want the plants to grow.
Ooh…the Hemp!
With further developments with the 2018 Farm Bill, the decrease in stigma associated with cannabis use, and the increased consumer use, we can expect to see some exciting developments in the hemp industry in the near future.
To learn more about opportunities in the Florida Hemp Industry, send us an email.