Hemp would rank second only to tobacco products as a cash crop for Kentucky farmers, concluded a $23,000 study conducted by Center for Business and Economy Research at the University of Kentucky. The 18-month study also determined that present market demand for the crop could support the cultivation of 82,000 acres in the United States.
“We believe the UK study is a landmark, watershed event,” said John Gilderbloom, a University of Louisville economics professor who wrote a forward endorsing the study. “This is the premiere study done on the impact of hemp.”
Gilderbloom said the environmental advantages of hemp, coupled with the crop’s economic potential, give the plant an edge over other possible alternatives to tobacco. “The UK report could provide the spark for a serious review and evaluation of the benefits of industrial hemp for the state of Kentucky and the United States,” he concluded.
At least 29 nations — including Canada, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and Australia — allow farmers to cultivate hemp for industrial purposes. The report found that farmers in the European Union grew over 50,000 acres of hemp in 1997 alone. U.S. law forbids the cultivation of hemp because the plant is of the same species as marijuana.
Authors of the study, entitled “Economic Impact of Industrial Hemp in Kentucky,” argued that climate and soil conditions make Kentucky “the primary area in North America for growing industrial hemp.” They estimated that legalizing the crop could lead to hundreds of full-time jobs and millions of dollars in workers earnings for the state.
This study is “the knockout punch for opponents to hemp, including the nation’s Drug Czar [Barry McCaffrey,]” Gilderbloom announced.
For more information, please contact either Paul Armentano or Allen St. Pierre of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751. Copies of the study are available online at: http://www.hempgrowers.com/. University of Kentucky’s Center for Business and Economic Research may be contacted @ (606) 257-7675.
