The Illinois Department of Agriculture is preparing to perform spot checks as it starts to get reports from Illinois’ first-ever hemp growers that they’re ready to harvest.
That means farmers looking to cash in on growing hemp in Illinois are taking a gamble. While they may get crop insurance for damaged hemp fields, they’re out of luck if the state orders their fields to be destroyed.
Hemp can be used for oils and fibers. It’s the sister plant to marijuana in the cannabis family, but has a much lower concentration of the psychoactive component THC. The federal government and Illinois state government approved hemp cultivation for this year, but put limits on the allowable THC levels.
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