Hemp production could benefit farmers

ALBANY, GA (WALB) - Georgia farmers could soon be allowed to grow the hemp plant legally in the state.

With Georgia’s growing agriculture industry, lawmakers are considering letting farmers grow this plant, that looks like pot, but it’s not.

It’s part of the cannabis family but contains less THC, making it different from marijuana.

“We are looking at it just like any other crop that you would grow,” said Timothy Coolong, the Associate Professor of Horticulture at the University of Georgia.

Coolong is leading the department’s study on the plant.

“Growers are making money selling plants as transplant production houses. They are looking at harvesting it for CBD oil, and there are a smaller number of growers that are looking at it from the fiber side,” he explained.

Cannabidiol (CBD), seed, and fiber production are some of the positive uses that lawmakers recognize, and are pushing for its growth.

Though it would come with regulations, Coolong said it could help out farmers.

“It’s probably a little less problematic than some of our crops that we’ve been growing for 100 straight years,” he said.

He said growing this plant depends on the market.

Where fiber and seed production isn’t as costly, if it’s for CBD oil it can range from three to five dollars a plant.

“Maybe $12,000 an acre invested in the plants in addition to your other production costs and currently, hemp that’s grown for the CBD is hand harvest so that’s quite a bit of labor,” said Coolong.

There are rules and regulations that would come with this bill, but would add Georgia to a list of 41 other states with a hemp program.

“I do think its something our growers need to look at,” he said.

The bill will be back on the senate floor sometime Tuesday for a final vote.

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