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May 17, 2019

Spreading like a weed: State launches hemp web portal

Pixabay.com

The state’s Department of Agriculture this week announced the launch of a new web page and online licensing portal for hemp producers and processors operating in Connecticut.

The new site, www.ctgrown.gov/hemp, went live on Wednesday — six days after Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 19-3, “An Act Concerning a Pilot Program for Hemp.”

The 2018 Farm Bill redefines hemp as a raw agricultural commodity that can be legally marketed, provided the THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) content does not exceed 0.3 percent. THC is the psychoactive compound found in cannabis plants. Once harvested, the raw agricultural commodity, hemp, can be transformed into a value-added product.

“Hemp has the potential to stabilize the agricultural economy and attract new farmers to the industry while providing consumers with a locally grown product that is in high demand,” said agricultural Commissioner Bryant P. Hurlburt in a statement. “It also supports the governor’s initiative to create new market opportunities for the small-businessmen and -women in Connecticut.”

The first hemp grower application was filed through the new licensing portal by Dylan Williams of Ledyard. Williams is on the board of the Connecticut Hemp Industry Association (CHIA) and has been conducting agronomic field research related to hemp at the University of Connecticut for the past two years with Gerald Berkowitz.

“This permit will enable me to conduct continued research on my farm, establishing nutrient requirements for hemp, and a plan for pest management specific to the needs of Connecticut farmers,” said Williams in a press release. “Hemp will add diversity to my farm, and will give farmers in our state the chance to do so as well, bringing back economic viability to Connecticut family farms.”

More information on the Connecticut Hemp Research Pilot Program is available by contacting AGR.Hemp@ct.gov, phoning 860-713-2502 or visiting www.ctgrown.gov/hemp.

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