New Mexico farmers eager to cash in on the hemp craze the first year they could legally plant the crop say it did not pan out. “It was like a gold rush,” said James Johnson, a Columbus area farmer.
His Carzalia Valley family farm and produce company is famous for its sweet onions, but, this year, he also planted 142 acres of hemp.
Johnson, like many New Mexico farmers, saw an opportunity after the federal farm bill legalized industrial hemp last December.
Hundreds got licenses to grow hemp in New Mexico with an eye on the burgeoning market for Cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, extracted from the plant. CBD is now found in a variety of products promising relief from a wide range of ailments, including chronic pain, insomnia and anxiety.
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