The Halifax County Economic Development Commission is in the early stages of gauging farmer interest in the production of industrial hemp.
Industrial hemp, according to the recently formed North Carolina Industrial Hemp Association, contains less than .30 percent THC, the active ingredient in marijuana for recreational use.
County Economic Development Director Cathy Scott told commissioners today the idea was born out of discussions with an Arizona company which has developed a product to replace Ibuprofen from turmeric extraction. There have been discussions about locating a turmeric extraction plant in the Hobgood area.
That led to discussions of a hemp pilot program and the development commission is in the process of setting a date to discuss the matter with area farmers and the county Cooperative Extension Service. That meeting would include representatives of North Carolina Industrial Hemp Commission as well as the North Carolina Industrial Hemp Association.
Scott said the matter has already been discussed with the county economic development commission and there has been no pushback. “The big key is education, that it’s not a narcotic, not a controlled substance,” she said afterward.
Scott said the industrial hemp association as well the commission is promoting industrial hemp cultivation for myriad of purposes.
On its website, the industrial hemp association says the plant can be used in up to 25,000 markets across the world and the most common uses are textiles, cosmetics, food and animal bedding and feed.
The website also notes that while it is not legal to grow hemp in the state, it can be grown if a farmer is a participant in the state’s Industrial Hemp Pilot Program.