KINGWOOD — About 30 people attended a meeting to discuss hemp farming Tuesday at the Preston Community Arts Center.
FWV Cod 19-12E-1 to 19-12E-9 (2016) allows hemp production for commercial purposes by growers licensed by the West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture.
Growers must use seeds which produce plants containing less than one percent THC. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the active ingredient in marijuana, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
J. Morgan Leach, CEO of the West Virginia Farmers Cooperative (WVFC) and an active grower of industrial hemp, said 1,100 acres in West Virginia are being used to farm hemp. He said the WVFC has 30 licensed members in 20 counties. To become a licensed hemp farmer, you must submit an application and pass a federal background check.
Leach said there are a few companies in West Virginia with the capacity to process what they grow, and one is in Bridgeport.
Hemp fiber may be processes as well as hemp seed, which can be used in foods such as ice cream and salad oils. Hemp seed can also be ground into flour and used in baked goods, while hemp-seed oil is used to detergents and other products.
“We are looking at the market. It’s a new market. Our co-op submitted a USDA grant, so we can try some new things,” Leach said. “There are a lot of challenges to figure out.”
Dr. Louis McDonald of the WVU Division of Plant and Soil Sciences said information about industrial hemp farming will be made clearer once the farm bill goes through.
“Hemp isn’t corn or hay,” he said. “It takes skill and finesse. Consider your first year (hemp farming) your practice year.”
WVU Extension Agent Dr. Bill Shockey said there are grants available for those wishing to apply. He said the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grant is available. Shockey said the deadline for the 2019 project application is Nov. 27 of this year.
Leach said there is a federal lawsuit against a West Virginia hemp farm. He said the suit raises the question as to whether hemp can be shipped across state lines.
“Some precedence will be set with this suit,” he said.
Shipping any portion of cannabis plants across state lines is considered a violation of the Federal Controlled Substances Act.
The WVU Preston County Extension Service is at 115 Court St. Kingwood. Info: 304-329-1391.
