Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Wayne Smith and Walt Heber slowly sidle across a tilled section of soil Monday afternoon on a secluded hill in the Eastern Star area of Washington County.
As Smith drops a hemp seed through a homemade planting device, really just a funnel attached to a piece of copper pipe, Heber follows behind and rakes dirt over the potential plant.
Until only last year, the men's activities would have been illegal according to both state and federal drug laws, which put hemp in the same category as its close relative, marijuana, but both legislative bodies are making moves to remove restrictions and study the viability of the plant and its commercial applications.
Forty-six farmers, including Smith and Unicoi County resident Randall Ledford, will receive the highly regulated seeds this year through a pilot program offered by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, intended to learn what varieties of hemp will grow best in which areas of the state.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Hope for local hemp grows as seeds go in ground | Kingsport Times-News
Author: Nathan Baker
Contact: Contact | Kingsport Times-News
Photo Credit: Nathan Baker/Johnson City Press
Website: Kingsport Times-News
As Smith drops a hemp seed through a homemade planting device, really just a funnel attached to a piece of copper pipe, Heber follows behind and rakes dirt over the potential plant.
Until only last year, the men's activities would have been illegal according to both state and federal drug laws, which put hemp in the same category as its close relative, marijuana, but both legislative bodies are making moves to remove restrictions and study the viability of the plant and its commercial applications.
Forty-six farmers, including Smith and Unicoi County resident Randall Ledford, will receive the highly regulated seeds this year through a pilot program offered by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, intended to learn what varieties of hemp will grow best in which areas of the state.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Hope for local hemp grows as seeds go in ground | Kingsport Times-News
Author: Nathan Baker
Contact: Contact | Kingsport Times-News
Photo Credit: Nathan Baker/Johnson City Press
Website: Kingsport Times-News
