Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Sen. Frank Ruff, Sen. Rosalyn Dance and Del. Tommy Wright joined approximately 200 interested Virginia residents who attended a summit held at Virginia State University Thursday devoted to hemp production and processing in Virginia.
"It appears to be a crop that could be an additional source of income for our communities," Ruff said.
Hemp, while in the family of cannabis, has only a fraction of the THC found in marijuana plants, according to the senator who added, the hemp effort is not connected to the effort of some to make marijuana legal.
Federal law must be changed to allow hemp to be legally grown in the United States.
Congressman Bob Goodlatte from Virginia and Senator Mitch McConnell from Kentucky are seeking to make that change.
In the last several years, legislation passed that allows universities to do research needed to reintroduce hemp to Virginia.
Ruff said he visited the test plot that Virginia Tech grew at the Blackstone research facility last year.
"To move forward, the new legislation must pass. Currently, all seed produced in these test plots must be destroyed, and new seed bought in from Eastern Europe each year," he explained.
Hemp is a native plant to Virginia. It was one of the most important and tradeable crops that the colonial forefathers grew because, unlike foodstuffs, it dried to a very usable product.
"Mostly in those days it was used in rope making and often shipped to Europe for cash. Because of limited supply and cheap petroleum, World War II brought the advent of nylon rope. During that part of the 20th century, the federal government lumped hemp with marijuana and made both illegal," according to Ruff.
Today, all hemp must be imported, enriching foreign farmers at the expense of American farmers, he added.
"Hemp that once was only used for rope is today used for other products, many that could be used in our daily lives. The strong fiber makes it equal to or of greater value for the production of things as varied as clothing to side panels of automobiles. Because of higher costs of petroleum and steel, industry is seeking more opportunities for its use," he added.
The meeting at Virginia State featured leaders from Kentucky who shared their research with those in attendance.
"One interesting fact is that hemp oil does not congeal as do most oils. They believe that the addition of some hemp oil to diesel fuel may eliminate the problem of starting on cold mornings. Additionally, the seeds have been found to be an excellent source of nutrients often found in imported pet food," Ruff added.
However, he noted major steps must be taken in planning.
"Assuming that the federal laws are changed, we must start preparing for the infrastructure needed to get hemp from the field to the processors who can turn the fiber into a product usable for manufacturing. That will require that growers and processors are working in tandem," according to Ruff.
"We do not want growers to be left with product they cannot sell. Likewise, we do not want processing equipment to sit idle because of lack of product," he added.
One suggested solution Ruff offered is for growers to band together into growers' co-ops and use a mobile processor until there is sufficient volume in a region.
"This will not be an overnight success. It requires working together in this worthwhile effort," he concluded.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Ruff ponders hemp as income crop | Local Business | yourgv.com
Contact: Contact us | Site | yourgv.com
Photo Credit: WLOS
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"It appears to be a crop that could be an additional source of income for our communities," Ruff said.
Hemp, while in the family of cannabis, has only a fraction of the THC found in marijuana plants, according to the senator who added, the hemp effort is not connected to the effort of some to make marijuana legal.
Federal law must be changed to allow hemp to be legally grown in the United States.
Congressman Bob Goodlatte from Virginia and Senator Mitch McConnell from Kentucky are seeking to make that change.
In the last several years, legislation passed that allows universities to do research needed to reintroduce hemp to Virginia.
Ruff said he visited the test plot that Virginia Tech grew at the Blackstone research facility last year.
"To move forward, the new legislation must pass. Currently, all seed produced in these test plots must be destroyed, and new seed bought in from Eastern Europe each year," he explained.
Hemp is a native plant to Virginia. It was one of the most important and tradeable crops that the colonial forefathers grew because, unlike foodstuffs, it dried to a very usable product.
"Mostly in those days it was used in rope making and often shipped to Europe for cash. Because of limited supply and cheap petroleum, World War II brought the advent of nylon rope. During that part of the 20th century, the federal government lumped hemp with marijuana and made both illegal," according to Ruff.
Today, all hemp must be imported, enriching foreign farmers at the expense of American farmers, he added.
"Hemp that once was only used for rope is today used for other products, many that could be used in our daily lives. The strong fiber makes it equal to or of greater value for the production of things as varied as clothing to side panels of automobiles. Because of higher costs of petroleum and steel, industry is seeking more opportunities for its use," he added.
The meeting at Virginia State featured leaders from Kentucky who shared their research with those in attendance.
"One interesting fact is that hemp oil does not congeal as do most oils. They believe that the addition of some hemp oil to diesel fuel may eliminate the problem of starting on cold mornings. Additionally, the seeds have been found to be an excellent source of nutrients often found in imported pet food," Ruff added.
However, he noted major steps must be taken in planning.
"Assuming that the federal laws are changed, we must start preparing for the infrastructure needed to get hemp from the field to the processors who can turn the fiber into a product usable for manufacturing. That will require that growers and processors are working in tandem," according to Ruff.
"We do not want growers to be left with product they cannot sell. Likewise, we do not want processing equipment to sit idle because of lack of product," he added.
One suggested solution Ruff offered is for growers to band together into growers' co-ops and use a mobile processor until there is sufficient volume in a region.
"This will not be an overnight success. It requires working together in this worthwhile effort," he concluded.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Ruff ponders hemp as income crop | Local Business | yourgv.com
Contact: Contact us | Site | yourgv.com
Photo Credit: WLOS
Website: yourgv.com | Connected to you
