As U.S. hemp production doubled in 2017, Colorado became one of the country’s top hemp producers.
As The Cannabist reports, Colorado now grows almost 40 percent of all the hemp in the U.S. – more than twice what any other state grows.
Hemp is used for items ranging from medication to medical research and textiles, and does not contain the levels of THC, the ingredient that induces a high found in hemp’s cousin, marijuana. According to Vail Daily, Hemp’s THC levels are capped at .3 percent while marijuana flowers often contains 15 percent THC or more.
According to Vote Hemp’s 2017 Hemp Crop Report, hemp cultivation in the U.S. has more than doubled in the past year – from 9,770 acres in 2016 to 23,346 acres this year. The Centennial State’s hemp acreage is also up - from about 6,000 acres in 2016 to 9,000 this year – a nearly 66 percent increase.
According to The North American Industrial Hemp Council and other pro-hemp groups, the crop can be used to make some 25,000 products.
