SW Colorado farmers considering growing "industrial hemp"

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by Gunluvver2

I left Colorado in 1964 to go to college in Nebraska but I still have an interest in what goes on in Colorado, especially in Agriculture. My big question is about HEMP. When the Colorado voters allowed MJ to be legalized did they also allow for the cultivation of industrial HEMP? The dopers will bring in a few million dollars in tax revenues but there may also be associated social costs. However Industrial Hemp, IMHO, has the potential to be a multi Billion dollar business in Colorado that will benefit everyone.

Do a Google satellite view of Eastern Colorado and make a note of all the green circles. Those circles are pivot irrigation systems that use underground water to irrigate crops like Corn and Soybeans. Substitute HEMP for Corn and Soybeans and you eliminate the need for irrigation. HEMP would thrive in the dry Eastern Colorado climate without any irrigation. Billions of gallons of our most precious resource would be saved by raising HEMP. CSU has been one of the leading agricultural research universities in the nation for decades. It is going to be interesting to see what new products and uses they will come up with for Industrial Hemp in the next few years. Colorado will be leading the way in this now that POT is no longer illegal. Kansas and Nebraska will benefit even more from Hemp than Colorado when their law makers wise up to how much their states would benefit from legalization also. Maybe our farm kids will have a reason to stay on the farms again.

JMHO,
Gunluvver2

Great info, thanks for posting. +5

I've merged your post into our main thread on Hemp farming. I hope it mushrooms into a major component of our state's ag biz. From a link I found the other day, COLO has 11.5M acres under cultivation, the 12th largest farm state in the nation.

[Gunluvver2]

Originally Posted by hammertime33

Yes, the cultivation of industrial hemp was legalized in Colorado via Amendment 64 . But the people who've tried commercial grow operations of hemp so far have not been very successful.

Do you know why Hammer?
I know CSU has some fantastic crop scientists. They will be the drivers in developing Hemp as a crop.
GL2

[Colorado Rambler]

One of the major problems for Colorado and Kentucky hemp farmers (KY has legalized hemp but not mj) is seed quality and procurement. Farmers will not be asked to disclose the source of their hemp seed, but they will need to verify that the seed they intend to plant will produce hemp that contains THC levels of less than 0.3% on a dry weight basis. This has turned into a Catch-22 for hemp growers. Since industrial hemp has been illegal in this country, there’s no certified seed that anyone’s aware of within the United States. Most of the certified seed comes from out of the country in places like Canada. Earlier this year, the Feds pounced on what was to be a legal purchase of hemp seed from the Canadians by would-be Kentucky hemp farmers. Colorado farmers have run into the same sorts of problems, including arcane laws like just what kind of pesticides can be applied to hemp, etc. My feeling is that hemp will once again become a viable crop in Colorado and elsewhere in the US once these bumps in the road have been smoothed over, and the Feds stop wasting their time empounding seeds for agricultural crops and go after the major problem - hard drugs coming in via Columbia, Central America, etc.

[Gunluvver2]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

I have no issue with industrial hemp. It has many industrial uses, including still being one of the strongest rope materials. (Old timers referred to smoking MJ as "smoking rope" because of the relationship between MJ and hemp.)

The only issue with growing hemp (or anything else) in southwestern Colorado is the drought. Without the snow Gods smiling on us, it will all be an academic discussion pretty soon. The dryland farms of southwest Colorado (around Dove Creek) don't get significant rain until late June to mid-July when the Southwest Monsoon kicks in. Until then, the plants have to rely on carryover soil moisture from the winter. Right now, there essentially isn't any carryover moisture in the soil. Irrigation water is also going to be in really short supply unless this winter turns around real quick.

Jazzlover,
Hemp cultivated indoors uses a lot of water. However HEMP (i.e. Ditchweed) requires very little water. The root system in Wild Hemp is similar to that of Sunflowers. Two plants that will be present in drought stricken areas after MOST other plants have died from thirst will be HEMP and SUnflowers. If it gets as bad as the Sahara even those two species of plants won't make it but it ain't that bad YET.

GL2