Applications Are Now Available For Illinois Hemp Growers

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. —  Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Tuesday that applications are available for growers looking to cash in on industrial hemp for the first time in 80 years.

“Industrial hemp is a potentially billion-dollar industry that Illinois will now take part in,” said Pritzker. “From farming and processing to sales and exports, this will have a massive impact on our state’s economy. Farmers across the state can diversify their crops and join a growing industry.”

A law signed last summer allowing commercial production of the crop used for clothing, food, medicine and more makes Illinois one of 40 states allowing cultivation, although in some places, it’s still limited to research or pilot-program purposes. Officials could not immediately say how many states had approved full production like Illinois.

Applications cost $100. Once approved, growers may buy cultivation licenses ranging from $375 for a one-year license to $1,000 for a three-year term. The fees will help finance Agriculture Department inspections of hemp plots to ensure that the plants contain no more than 0.3 percent THC, the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana.

 

Photo by Rick Proctor on Unsplash