Win! Industrial Hemp Now Legal in North Carolina
A much-needed development
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Numerous industries would benefit from the industrialization of hemp as they once did in America. But thanks to the federal government, this widely-diverse crop has been highly underutilized, even despite the fact that it is entirely different than psychoactive marijuana. But now in a huge game-changing move for the US, North Carolina has recently legalized the cultivation and manufacturing of industrial hemp.
Spring Hope, North Carolina has one of the only large hemp decortication plants in the US. Decortication is the process of stripping the bark (long fiber) from the stalks, allowing the crop to be better utilized for production. Say hello to more clothing, jewelry, rope, fuel, and much more derived from hemp.
The North Carolina plant hasn’t been able to process hemp because of obvious legal issues. Though it will now be able to process a whopping 40 million pounds of hemp each year, paving way for long-awaited production and employment opportunities.
On October 31, 2015 Governor Pat McCrory passed Senate Bill 313, allowing farmers in North Carolina to wake up in the morning with a new option for growing crops. Industrial hemp production became legal at the stroke of midnight.
The bill passed the House and Senate in late September by a vote of 101-7 and 42-2, respectively. It has been, until just recently, awaiting Governor Pat McCrory to sign it into law.
The North Carolina General Assembly:
“…finds and declares that it is in the best interest of the citizens of North Carolina to promote and encourage the development of an industrial hemp industry in the State in order to expand employment, promote economic activity, and provide opportunities to small farmers for an environmentally sustainable and profitable use of crop lands that might otherwise be lost to agricultural production.
The purposes of this Article are to establish an agricultural pilot program for the cultivation of industrial hemp in the State, to provide for reporting on the program by growers and processors for agricultural or other research, and to pursue any federal permits or waivers necessary to allow industrial hemp to be grown in the State.”
Read: 10 Great Things About Hemp Everyone Should Know
Currently, the United States is the number one importer of hemp products in the world. We have to import it because we can’t grow and produce it here. So, we spend millions, as a whole, bringing it in from other countries who know better than to ban such a valuable crop.
What makes hemp so valuable? Its uses are virtually endless. But, here’s a start:
- Paper
- Plastics
- Clothing
- Jewelry
- Rope
- Building materials
- Cooking (hemp oil)
- Medicine
- Food (it won’t get you high)
- Skin care products
- Animal and bird feed
- Animal bedding
- Water and soil purification
- Weed control
- Clean fuel
Now, North Carolina can show the country how to re-utilize an infinitely-old crop that once helped run America.
| | Mike is the co-founder, editor, and researcher behind Natural Society. Studying the work of top natural health activists, and writing special reports for top 10 alternative health websites, Mike has written hundreds of articles and pages on how to obtain optimum wellness through natural health. |
This is fantastic! I do hope that all the states are soon able to do the same. What a huge difference this would make for so many people and for our environment. We definitely need more plants that have the proper machinery for processing the hemp.
Yes, but in order for it to really take off you know we need to develop gmo hemp. Which can’t be to far off.
It’s “too”, troll-boy. And no, we most definitely do NOT need GM-hemp (not gmo hemp). It’s just fine the way it is, though I have no doubt the idiots at the ag-biotech industry will find a “reason” to mess with perfection. This plant has been around for a *very* long time and it’s very well adapted to growing on this planet. There is absolutely no good reason to genetically-modify it to accept copious amounts of pesticide, or to design it like Bt crops. If it’s grown right (small organic farming), the need for GMOs isn’t there–just like it’s not there for food crops grown that way.
I am NOT starting another long, drawn-out, useless conversation with you, so go back under your bridge unless you actually have something intelligent to contribute–like proving that we “need” GM-hemp for the hemp industry to “really take off”, as you claim. Something you obviously can’t do because hemp really is an excellent plant the way it is, and there’s no reason to modify it in a laboratory as long as you’re growing it in a proper setting.
Gmo hemp could add very much to it just as it has all the other crops. You are just to stubborn to admit it.
Another shill for MonSatano heard from…
Yes, that would serve to further the tyrannical monopolies cause, divert the financial prosperity from whom are truly deserving.
$9 an hour for the people and 300% profit for the shareholders.
Gotta love Stinky’s ideologies.
Maybe in your fantasy world, but in real life Monsanto has created a lot of jobs thanks to gmos that pay more than $9 an hour. Of course you are to blind to realize it is the real problem.
Sure…and over 2500 of those people just lost their jobs because business is bad for the company. 😉
Yeah…I didn’t think you would be able to prove that hemp needs to become a GMO. Thanks for the confirmation.
Roundup alone would be one excellent reason, again you are to stupid to see it.
ROFLMAO. You *would* think that this country just needs a little more Roundup sprayed on our crops to make the world a better place. Lol. How typical. Hemp doesn’t even need pesticides when grown right; apparently *you* are too stupid to know that. And again, I really see no reason for you to be trolling this article, so go back under your bridge.
So it is impossible for grass and weeds to compete with hemp? You really just don’t have a clue do you.
Roundup is NOT the answer to everything, regardless of what you think. Funny how all those organic hemp farmers are growing such great crops without Roundup, eh? Of course, you wouldn’t know how they do that since you don’t know the first thing about organic agriculture. 😉
Only that it has zero chances of feeding the world.
I almost feel sorry for you because of your stupidity. Almost.
Still smarter than you.
You wish.
Oh you love me and you know it.