Craig Young wants to add a new crop to the family farm.
His family has grown soybeans, corn and wheat on 250 acres outside High Hill, Mo., for more than 60 years. Now that medical cannabis has been legalized in Missouri, Young wants to grow cannabis, too.
“I’m at that age where I’m looking for a new adventure and a new challenge, and this is what I’m looking at,” said Young, 60, who said he had plans to grow the plant after he retired from his job in the aerospace industry.
Agriculture and horticulture industry groups say they’re curious about the high-value plant and the revenue it could bring after a serious drought last year and a drop in corn and soybean prices. But the vast majority of farmers, nurseries and other traditional growers don’t have the substantial financial resources to break into the industry, nor the know-how to win state approval for a cultivator license, navigate state regulations and grow a quality plant. And some still view the use of cannabis as immoral or unhealthy.
“I’m sure there are some younger members who would consider growing medical marijuana, but some older members still have mixed feelings even if it’s legal,” said Richard Oswald, former longtime director of the Missouri Farmers Union.
How many farmers or horticulturists are among the 142 applicants who have filed paperwork to apply for a cultivation license is unclear. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is keeping the identities of the filers secret. The Post-Dispatch has sued the state to release their identities.
Read the full article at stltoday.com
