West Virginia Farmers Quadrupled Their Hemp Crop This Year

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - Farmers more than quadrupled West Virginia's industrial hemp crop this year.

Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt's office says about 130 farmers grew 641 acres of industrial hemp in 2019, up from 155 acres in 2018.

And more's coming: The department's statement says more than 400 applications have been submitted for the 2020 growing season, double last year's numbers.

Licensed grower Mary Hastings told The Dominion Post that it's great news for farmers, showing real potential for profit.

Hemp is a type of cannabis from the same plant species as marijuana that mostly lacks intoxicating compounds. It's used to make textiles, plastics and cannabidiol products.

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Information from: The Dominion Post, http://www.dominionpost.com

(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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