The Connecticut Department of Agriculture says it has approved applications from dozens of farmers interested in growing industrial hemp under a newly authorized pilot program.
The state says farmers could expect to sell hemp for up to $150,000 an acre.
Brian Hurlburt, with the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, said some farmers started planting as soon as Governor Ned Lamont signed the program into law earlier this month.
“We’re really excited that we were able to move forward as quickly as we did and get hemp in the ground this growing season.”
Proponents say industrial hemp has thousands of uses, including medicinal ones.
The pilot program is set to run until 2020, at which point the state’s plan for hemp is eligible for federal approval.
