Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Off a small service road at Kentland Farm, Virginia Tech graduate student Jabari Byrd is growing cannabis with his professor.
Now this plot isn't part of any illicit plan. It's a piece of research at Tech that's leading the state into a new era of studying industrial hemp, and it's fully sanctioned by the federal and Virginia governments.
On a hot July afternoon, Byrd led a group of professors, fellow students and an activist around the fields to show off more than a dozen varieties of industrial hemp. Byrd showed plots that were part of herbicide studies and planting day studies in an effort to determine the best conditions for the plant that until last year hadn't been cultivated in the state for decades.
A law legalizing hemp cultivation for research purposes sponsored by Del. Joseph Yost, R-Pearisburg, was passed in 2015. The law was championed by longtime former Montgomery County Board of Supervisors chairman and farmer Jim Politis. Virginia Tech was one of the first universities in the state to apply for permits to research the crop. Virginia State University and James Madison University are also conducting research on the crop.
Further state legislation could come soon if Congress passes the federal Industrial Hemp Farming Act, which was introduced Friday in the House of Representatives.
The measure, co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County, proposes altering the definition of marijuana to take industrial hemp off a list of substances banned by the federal controlled substances act. That could open the door for commercial growth of the plant.
"I've met many Virginia farmers who are ready to commercially produce and create a market for industrial hemp in the U.S., but outdated, though well-intentioned, federal restrictions on the cultivation and commercialization of this crop stand in the way," Goodlatte said in a written statement. "By removing industrial hemp from the definition of a controlled substance, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act will finally allow for responsible, commercial production of industrial hemp without fear of violating federal law."
Industrial hemp is the same species of cannabis plant as marijuana. The difference: marijuana is chock-full of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the intoxicant that makes people high. Industrial hemp has a very small concentration, .03 percent or less as defined in Virginia, while marijuana often has a double digit percentage concentration.
The reason for research
The passage of the 2015 state law and the possibility of loosening federal regulations on hemp production mean Tech researchers are starting to see some value in looking at the renewable crop, said Tom Hammett, associate dean of Academic Programs and a professor in the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials at Tech.
Hammett said Tech researchers are focusing on turning the crop from a novelty into a viable cash crop.
This isn't the first time Hammett has looked at hemp products. He said that he's spent three to four years helping students study how hemp might be a viable biomaterial commercially. The plant, though, is starting to pick up more steam for study.
"We need to look and see what products we can get that will raise the value of hemp," Hammett said. "People are a little bit skeptical of it now."
That skepticism comes from the way hemp has been regulated and stigmatized in the past, said Jason Amatucci, the Virginia Industrial Hemp Coalition's executive director. It has been outlawed in Virginia since the 1930s.
Amatucci said that products from the plant, currently mostly imported from Europe and Canada, show some vitality and potential for the plant in the United States.
Vote Hemp, a national advocacy group, and Hemp Business Journal, a hemp trade publication, estimated the hemp market value in the country is about $688 million. At least 33 states have legalized growing hemp to some degree for research and commercial purposes.
But, in order for industrial hemp to be commercially viable in Virginia, there needs to be scientific proof from universities like Tech, James Madison and Virginia State to corporate interests that the crop will thrive in Virginia and contribute to the state's economy, Amatucci said.
"Their proof of concepts and variety research trials help to move the hemp industry forward in Virginia, which in turn will result in new jobs for the Commonwealth," he said.
Work at Tech
About a half dozen projects going on at Tech are looking at that proof of concept.
In the field, Byrd, along with professor John Fike who is currently out of the country and was unavailable for comment, are analyzing the best times to grow and manage hemp crops at Kentland Farm. They have 18 varieties growing at the farm.
Byrd said the ultimate goal will be to put together a Virginia Cooperative Extension document to guide farmers on the best ways to plant the crop if it becomes legal to grow commercially.
Part of that information will be gleaned from the work done by entomologists who are conducting pest population studies on the plant. Graduate student Kadie Britt and senior Emily Rutkowski have been traveling around the state studying pests on the plants and have found plenty of bugs. Japanese beetles are probably the most common pests on industrial hemp so far, Britt said.
Researchers are looking beyond the field for what to do with hemp in the future.
On the same day the group visited the field, the Virginia Industrial Hemp Coalition – via Amatucci – also donated several bags of hemp hurd (fibrous parts of the plant's stalk) to Tech researchers. The hurd was imported from the Netherlands, Amatucci said. One of the first projects will be to test how hemp-enforced concrete can withstand pressure, said Dan Hindman, a professor in Tech's sustainable biomaterials department.
Hempcrete, a mix of hemp hurd and lime, is already on the market. However, it isn't strong enough to hold a lot of weight over an extended period of time.
The goal with testing hemp-reinforced concrete is to see how the plant might be able to replace materials like steel rebar to strengthen concrete in construction, said Sarah Blome, a student working with Hindman.
The fact that the hurd also comes from the stalks, while farmers can sell other parts of the plants for profit, makes what's used for Hindman's project "all gravy," he said.
If the researchers can figure that out, they might find a way to replace resource-intensive metals with an annual crop that would also suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere as it grows.
"It's just a small part of trying to make a big [construction] industry greener," Blome said.
Biological systems engineering professor Justin Barone and chemical engineering professor Donald Baird said they're both beginning to explore how hemp can be used in car parts.
Hemp fibers are lighter than glass fibers commonly used in cars, Barone said. Those hemp pieces could eventually be used to improve gas mileage.
"The way to go farther on a tank of gas is to make a car lighter," he said.
Right now, the limiting factors are mainly cost and a need to keep working on the strength of hemp fiber products that could be used in various parts of cars.
Baird said he hopes to get some funding in the near future to further research how hemp fibers can work in car parts. He said further research dollars will come to the university soon for various hemp-related projects.
"There's simply a renewed interest in researching hemp," Baird said.
For Hammett, all the research continues a positive trend for studying how to use the plant. It's not like the plant will solve all of society's problems, he said, but it's a harmless plant that could become a valuable product for the state.
"It's part of a mix of crops that stakeholders should have access to," Hammett said. "Why shouldn't hemp be part of what we use?"
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Virginia Tech pilots potential growth of hemp industry | Economics | roanoke.com
Author: Robby Korth
Contact: Contact Us | Site | roanoke.com
Photo Credit: Michael Shroyer
Website: roanoke.com | News, weather, and sports in Roanoke and Blacksburg, VA
Now this plot isn't part of any illicit plan. It's a piece of research at Tech that's leading the state into a new era of studying industrial hemp, and it's fully sanctioned by the federal and Virginia governments.
On a hot July afternoon, Byrd led a group of professors, fellow students and an activist around the fields to show off more than a dozen varieties of industrial hemp. Byrd showed plots that were part of herbicide studies and planting day studies in an effort to determine the best conditions for the plant that until last year hadn't been cultivated in the state for decades.
A law legalizing hemp cultivation for research purposes sponsored by Del. Joseph Yost, R-Pearisburg, was passed in 2015. The law was championed by longtime former Montgomery County Board of Supervisors chairman and farmer Jim Politis. Virginia Tech was one of the first universities in the state to apply for permits to research the crop. Virginia State University and James Madison University are also conducting research on the crop.
Further state legislation could come soon if Congress passes the federal Industrial Hemp Farming Act, which was introduced Friday in the House of Representatives.
The measure, co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County, proposes altering the definition of marijuana to take industrial hemp off a list of substances banned by the federal controlled substances act. That could open the door for commercial growth of the plant.
"I've met many Virginia farmers who are ready to commercially produce and create a market for industrial hemp in the U.S., but outdated, though well-intentioned, federal restrictions on the cultivation and commercialization of this crop stand in the way," Goodlatte said in a written statement. "By removing industrial hemp from the definition of a controlled substance, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act will finally allow for responsible, commercial production of industrial hemp without fear of violating federal law."
Industrial hemp is the same species of cannabis plant as marijuana. The difference: marijuana is chock-full of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the intoxicant that makes people high. Industrial hemp has a very small concentration, .03 percent or less as defined in Virginia, while marijuana often has a double digit percentage concentration.
The reason for research
The passage of the 2015 state law and the possibility of loosening federal regulations on hemp production mean Tech researchers are starting to see some value in looking at the renewable crop, said Tom Hammett, associate dean of Academic Programs and a professor in the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials at Tech.
Hammett said Tech researchers are focusing on turning the crop from a novelty into a viable cash crop.
This isn't the first time Hammett has looked at hemp products. He said that he's spent three to four years helping students study how hemp might be a viable biomaterial commercially. The plant, though, is starting to pick up more steam for study.
"We need to look and see what products we can get that will raise the value of hemp," Hammett said. "People are a little bit skeptical of it now."
That skepticism comes from the way hemp has been regulated and stigmatized in the past, said Jason Amatucci, the Virginia Industrial Hemp Coalition's executive director. It has been outlawed in Virginia since the 1930s.
Amatucci said that products from the plant, currently mostly imported from Europe and Canada, show some vitality and potential for the plant in the United States.
Vote Hemp, a national advocacy group, and Hemp Business Journal, a hemp trade publication, estimated the hemp market value in the country is about $688 million. At least 33 states have legalized growing hemp to some degree for research and commercial purposes.
But, in order for industrial hemp to be commercially viable in Virginia, there needs to be scientific proof from universities like Tech, James Madison and Virginia State to corporate interests that the crop will thrive in Virginia and contribute to the state's economy, Amatucci said.
"Their proof of concepts and variety research trials help to move the hemp industry forward in Virginia, which in turn will result in new jobs for the Commonwealth," he said.
Work at Tech
About a half dozen projects going on at Tech are looking at that proof of concept.
In the field, Byrd, along with professor John Fike who is currently out of the country and was unavailable for comment, are analyzing the best times to grow and manage hemp crops at Kentland Farm. They have 18 varieties growing at the farm.
Byrd said the ultimate goal will be to put together a Virginia Cooperative Extension document to guide farmers on the best ways to plant the crop if it becomes legal to grow commercially.
Part of that information will be gleaned from the work done by entomologists who are conducting pest population studies on the plant. Graduate student Kadie Britt and senior Emily Rutkowski have been traveling around the state studying pests on the plants and have found plenty of bugs. Japanese beetles are probably the most common pests on industrial hemp so far, Britt said.
Researchers are looking beyond the field for what to do with hemp in the future.
On the same day the group visited the field, the Virginia Industrial Hemp Coalition – via Amatucci – also donated several bags of hemp hurd (fibrous parts of the plant's stalk) to Tech researchers. The hurd was imported from the Netherlands, Amatucci said. One of the first projects will be to test how hemp-enforced concrete can withstand pressure, said Dan Hindman, a professor in Tech's sustainable biomaterials department.
Hempcrete, a mix of hemp hurd and lime, is already on the market. However, it isn't strong enough to hold a lot of weight over an extended period of time.
The goal with testing hemp-reinforced concrete is to see how the plant might be able to replace materials like steel rebar to strengthen concrete in construction, said Sarah Blome, a student working with Hindman.
The fact that the hurd also comes from the stalks, while farmers can sell other parts of the plants for profit, makes what's used for Hindman's project "all gravy," he said.
If the researchers can figure that out, they might find a way to replace resource-intensive metals with an annual crop that would also suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere as it grows.
"It's just a small part of trying to make a big [construction] industry greener," Blome said.
Biological systems engineering professor Justin Barone and chemical engineering professor Donald Baird said they're both beginning to explore how hemp can be used in car parts.
Hemp fibers are lighter than glass fibers commonly used in cars, Barone said. Those hemp pieces could eventually be used to improve gas mileage.
"The way to go farther on a tank of gas is to make a car lighter," he said.
Right now, the limiting factors are mainly cost and a need to keep working on the strength of hemp fiber products that could be used in various parts of cars.
Baird said he hopes to get some funding in the near future to further research how hemp fibers can work in car parts. He said further research dollars will come to the university soon for various hemp-related projects.
"There's simply a renewed interest in researching hemp," Baird said.
For Hammett, all the research continues a positive trend for studying how to use the plant. It's not like the plant will solve all of society's problems, he said, but it's a harmless plant that could become a valuable product for the state.
"It's part of a mix of crops that stakeholders should have access to," Hammett said. "Why shouldn't hemp be part of what we use?"
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Virginia Tech pilots potential growth of hemp industry | Economics | roanoke.com
Author: Robby Korth
Contact: Contact Us | Site | roanoke.com
Photo Credit: Michael Shroyer
Website: roanoke.com | News, weather, and sports in Roanoke and Blacksburg, VA
