Hartford Business Journal

14 Hartford Business Journal • March 11, 2019 • www.HartfordBusiness.com By Joe Cooper jcooper@hartfordbusiness.com W ith recent federal clearance and back- ing from Gov. Ned Lamont, Connecti- cut farmers are growing optimistic the state is finally positioned to develop a hemp pro- gram that would allow the industry to tap into a multibillion-dollar market. Attached to the Democratic gover- nor's two-year, $43 billion state budget is a 30-page bill that would legalize a pilot program allowing the production and sale of hemp, which is a type of can- nabis plant that produces a non-intoxi- cating substance — cannabidiol or CBD — that can be used for pain relief and to treat anxiety, depression, insomnia, acne and serious diseases like diabetes or multiple sclerosis, among other uses. Lamont's proposal follows Con- gress' decision in December to lift federal prohibitions on commercial hemp manufacturing, which had long been considered illegal because of its perceived similarities to marijuana, a different species of cannabis plant. Previous federal law only allowed for research-scale hemp production, which was approved by most other states, but not Connecticut, although UConn has been studying the plant. Since the recent federal expansion, states like Kentucky, New York and Vermont have been rushing to become the first to draft, submit and adopt sweeping commercial-hemp regula- tions to get in on an agricultural busi- ness analysts estimate will morph into a $20 billion industry by 2020. Legalizing industrial hemp would open a new market for the state's 6,000-plus farmers, some of which have struggled in recent years. However, despite several pro-hemp bills awaiting further discussion at the state Capitol, federal red tape and lawmakers' inability to move quickly enough could delay hemp seeds from being planted in Connecticut for years. Timing is an issue, farm advocates say, because getting in on the industry early could offer a competitive advantage. "This allows for the diversification of agricultural production for a number of constituencies who have had a re- ally hard time in the last few years," said Jason Bowsza, the state Depart- ment of Agriculture's (DoAG) chief of staff. "There really isn't a down side. Hemp is pretty innocent." Turning a new leaf Farming in Connecticut is a $4 billion industry, but it's gone through chal- lenges over the years, especially dairy and tobacco producers, which have been squeezed by changing consumer habits and other economic factors. At least two dairy farms shuttered last year in eastern Connecticut, according to U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney, (D- 2nd District), a pro-hemp advocate who is bullish about the potential economic boost growing the plant would provide. "I give Gov. Lamont credit," Courtney said. "He heard how tough it is out there for farmers on the campaign trail, and this proposal pushes this opportunity forward as quickly as Connecticut could accomplish. This is a real way of stabiliz- ing agriculture in Connecticut." Hundreds of farmers are express- ing interest in cultivating industrial hemp, according to several industry trade groups. Early estimates show cultivation could earn farmers be- tween $40,000 and $150,000 in new annual revenue per acre. Industrial hemp, a member of the cannabis sativa family, is generally used for fiber and CBD extraction, but it has over 25,000 different uses, according to the Connecticut Farm Bureau, an industry trade group. The plant's fibers and stalks, for ex- ample, are used in paper, feed additive, textilies, body oil and lotions, clothing and plastic. "I get 10 to 15 calls a week from farm- ers asking when they can start planting hemp," said Bryan Hurlburt, executive director of the Connecticut Farm Bureau. "There is near unanimous support. And I think we have a broad base of legislative support to get something done this year." Still wary Hemp is already present in Connect- icut. Four-hundred students and other Growing Optimism CT eyes first realistic attempt at hemp legalization Don Tuller is seen in one of Tulmeadow Farm's greenhouses where vegetables and other plants are grown. The West Simsbury farmer is one of hundreds in Connecticut planning to cultivate industrial hemp, if the plant is legalized. HBJ FILE PHOTO

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