County's hemp crop matures
Commercial hemp farming is quietly taking seed in Butler County as the new industry starts to bloom.
After the 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from federal controlled substances regulations, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture began issuing commercial hemp farming permits this spring. The commonwealth saw legal hemp cultivated for research purposes during the two years prior, but this year the state's first permits were issued to farmers growing hemp for profit.
In Butler County, just four farms received permits. The deadline to apply was May 1. There are more than 300 permits in the state.
All four permit-holders spoke to the Butler Eagle about their experiences as early hemp adopters, but just one consented to be named in this story.
None of Butler County's first commercial hemp farmers wanted photos to be taken of their farms, mainly out of fears of theft or vandalism.
“In more conservative areas, people still don't always understand the difference between hemp and marijuana,” said Erica McBride, executive director of the Pennsylvania Hemp Industry Council.
She explains the difference in simple terms. Both hemp and marijuana are cannabis, but hemp is not marijuana. The important difference is the presence or lack of a chemical called THC. That's the particular chemical, McBride said, that gets people high when they smoke marijuana.
Read more in Monday's Butler Eagle
