When the permitting process for Pennsylvania’s 2019 hemp program closes next month, more than 60 South Central Pennsylvania farmers will have permits to grow hemp this year.

Changes adopted under a federal farm bill passed in late 2018 declassified hemp as a Schedule 1 drug and allowed for wider cultivation across the country. But after an 80-year hiatus, much has changed in the world of commercial hemp farming. So, interested producers are taking baby steps towards what they hope will become a lucrative product. They need to ...

Makers and distributors of hemp products are adopting a cautious marketing approach to offer educational content and capitalize on strategic partnership while not making unsubstantiated medical claims.F]

Although Pennsylvania farmers are blazing a new path into the hemp industry, local banks and credit unions remain cautious in providing the businesses with financing.

Hemp farming is expected to grow significantly in Pennsylvania, but processing facilities could be slow to develop.

Many of the Pennsylvania farmers who began growing hemp for research lost their crops to weather, mistakes in growing the product and government regulation – problems that other farmers jumping into the industry could also face.