Even as state lawmakers continue to waffle over marijuana legalization, placing residents in a confusing holding pattern where certain hemp products are allowed and others aren't, two universities have seen their cannabis research programs blossoming as of late, as they focus on the burgeoning potential for the cash crop.
North Carolina State University (NC State) and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T) each host programs that are focused on the best ways to grow hemp as an agricultural entrepreneur, including the most efficient and cost-effective means to extract the plant's beneficial properties while maintaining soil health.
The budding industrial hemp industry kicked into gear after the passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, better known as the United States Farm Bill.
Among the provisions of the legislation, which has been extended through September 2025 by the American Relief Act, universities are allowed to obtain approval from the Industrial Hemp Commission (IHC) to grow industrial hemp for research purposes.
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