Posted April 24, 2014
New York could be the next state to approve industrial
hemp cultivation under a new bill that would begin a research pilot program with
state colleges and universities, and the state agriculture department,
according to an article by Capital New York available here.
The bill, A8297-2013 was
sponsored by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo of Binghamton. The companion
bill is S5978-2013.
Hemp is a “variant of the cannabis plant that also
produces marijuana, but has a far lower concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol.” Lupardo said industrial hemp plants are “strictly
an agricultural product with multiple uses, including as fiber, building
material and as a food supplement.”
Industrial hemp cultivation for research was recently
allowed through a provision of the recent U.S. farm bill, signed into law on
Feb. 7, according to a WBNG article available here.
Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences is a potential candidate for the pilot program, if the bill is
approved.
“Industrial hemp is an excellent candidate from a
biomass standpoint, with high yield as well as multiple potential value-added
users,” said Jerry Cherney, Professor of Agriculture at Cornell. “Alternative markets allow farmers to
minimize their risk and maximize profits.”
For more information, a recent report on hemp as an
agricultural commodity from the Congressional Research Service is available on the
National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
