Pubdate: Tue, 08 Oct 2013
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2013 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: Steve Raabe

COLORADO FARMER REAPS HISTORIC HEMP HARVEST

First Commercial Crop in Nation Since 1957

Colorado farmer Ryan Loflin made history last weekend by harvesting 
the nation's first commercial hemp crop in 56 years.

Hemp advocates said Loflin's harvest is a landmark event that could 
one day lead to larger-scale domestic farming of hemp for industrial 
uses such as food additives, cosmetics and building materials.

Hemp is genetically related to marijuana but contains only trace 
amounts of THC, the psychoactive substance that gets marijuana users high.

Loflin's 55-acre crop in southeastern Colorado's Baca County won't 
yield large amounts of hemp-seed oil and other by-products but is 
"quite significant symbolically," said Tom Murphy, national outreach 
coordinator for advocacy group Vote Hemp.

The sale of hemp products in the U.S. reached an estimated $500 
million last year, according to the Hemp Industries Association. Yet 
all of the hemp used for the products was imported because federal 
law prohibits its cultivation in the U.S. under the Controlled 
Substances Act of 1970. The last known commercial crop was harvested 
in Wisconsin in 1957.

Colorado's passage of Amendment 64 paved the way for legal 
cultivation of hemp, but Loflin chose to plant his crop earlier this 
year before implementation of the state's hemp growing regulations, 
which are scheduled to take effect next year.

Loflin used social media to line up about 45 volunteers to 
hand-harvest his crop on Saturday and Sunday. Use of a mechanical 
combine, he said, would have harmed the plants' stalks, which can be 
used in construction materials and for animal bedding.

Loflin said some of his hemp seed will be pressed for oil and 
subsequently purchased by Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, a major user of hemp oil.

"We're very excited that Ryan has done this," said David Bronner, 
president of the company. "Ryan has kind of busted it open and taken 
this necessary step to make hemp a viable crop."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom