Since the earliest days of U.S. history, hemp has been an important crop in American agriculture. The crop was grown mainly for fiber, but with the introduction of the cotton gin, the industry became practically nonexistent by the 1950s.
The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 made production so strongly regulated that the industry all but disappeared. The 2018 Farm Bill once again made hemp production federally legal in the U.S. ?Today there are three main segments of hemp production: fiber, seed and oil.
Beginning in the summer of 2019, experts in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences began field research trials and developing economic models to help Georgia farmers make sound production decisions. Potential growers should be aware that the hemp market is highly volatile and they should exercise due diligence in working with processors/vendors to sell their crop. At this time there is no commercial production of fiber hemp in Georgia, with production geared toward the extract/smokable flower market. Growers should thoroughly review the rules and regulations for growing industrial hemp on the Georgia Department of Agriculture website.
Websites
state and federal resources
Information on the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program from the United States Department of Agriculture.
Information on Industrial Hemp Production from the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
