Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) was legalized for commercial production in Louisiana under the supervision of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry in 2019. Following legalization of hemp, the LSU AgCenter Industrial Hemp Working Group (IHWG) was established to conduct research, establish production practices and perform extension activities for Louisiana.
Read MoreIn St. Landry Parish, where soybeans, rice and sugarcane typically flourish, a new crop is rising high above one field.
On a 12-acre plot in the south Louisiana parish, Pat Deshotels and Matthew Indest have grown hemp three times, but this crop — standing thick in the field with tall, slender stalks leading to bunches of green leaves — is their most successful.
Read MoreLouisiana’s legal THC industry, which has exploded in recent years as House Speaker Clay Schexnayder has ushered in a dramatic expansion, is nearing a victory in the legislative session that ends June 8.
That’s because lawmakers appear poised not to do anything to restrict it.
Read MoreIn November, John Williams, the top beer lobbyist in Louisiana, sent out a mass email to legislators with an alarming subject line: “Recreational THC is now legal in Louisiana.”
He distributed pictures of gas stations and smoke shops advertising products full of THC -- the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana – many of which hit the shelves after House Speaker Clay Schexnayder ushered through legislation to set up a legal hemp industry in the state. In a followup email, Williams, who opposed the hemp legislation, said the businesses selling the THC-laden products play by a looser set of rules than alcohol retailers.
Read MoreThe Southern University Ag Center and the Southern University Alumni Federation will host a medical marijuana educational tour at 2 p.m. on November 25, 2022 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, 601 Loyola Avenue New Orleans, LA 70113, in room Bolden 1.
Read MoreIt's been a rough start for growers in the hemp industry since the 2018 Farm Bill authorized the production of hemp and removed hemp and hemp seeds from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s schedule of Controlled Substances.
Ashley Broussard and Jarod Brackin, owners of Fleur De Vie Farms in Livingston, La., have had a number of challenges, but continue to push forward, looking for ways to improve their production and boost their operation
Read MorePlanted area for the Nation in 2021 for all utilizations totaled 54.2 thousand acres. The value of hemp production in the open for the United States totaled $712 million. Area harvested for all purposes in the open totaled 33.5 thousand acres.
Read MoreIn just over six weeks, the Louisiana medical marijuana market is expanding.
Flower, which is the smokable form of marijuana, will be available for medical use starting January 1st. Governor Edwards signed the measure into law in June.
"A lot of thorough work and research and intentionality had to go into producing a flower market because of the negative connotation of cannabis in itself. Education and emerging research show the benefits for patients."
Read MoreFarmers have largely struggled since hemp was legalized through the federal 2018 Farm Bill. Last year, the more than 500 growers and 60 processors with state permits planted fewer than 1,000 acres of hemp — down about 75% since 2019. Officials last year noted that less than half of those crops were harvested, with most of the rest lost to weather and pests.
Read MoreLouisiana based Mariposa Technology is proud to announce an exclusive technology services agreement with Texas A&M AgriLife to further the development of a powerful, one-of-a-kind digital farming tool now being used in the legal hemp industry. Hemp farmers face a unique challenge in meeting the legal threshold of 0.3% total THC content within their plants, or face the complete destruction of crops under federal and state regulations.
Read MoreFarmers who were previously ineligible for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) can now apply for aid thanks to collaboration between the American Farm Bureau, lawmakers and USDA. Up to $1 billion will be made available through the Consolidated Appropriations Act to livestock and poultry producers who suffered financial losses from January 1, 2020, through December 27, 2020. The American Farm Bureau first raised concern about farmers being left out of the aid package in May 2020 and has been engaged on this issue for more than a year.
Read MoreMany priorities need to be addressed to help establish hemp as a 21st Century industry. There is a general lack of knowledge about where different hemp grain, fiber, and essential oil market classes should be optimally grown and what are the best genetics to use. Particularly with fiber, production must be close to handling and processing facilities to reduce transportation costs. Also, there need to be outlets for by-products from processing to return as much value as possible within the system.
Each summer, farmers working in hot and humid regions may find their crops exposed to a fungus called Sclerotium rolfsii. They may notice lesions on their plants’ stems, chlorosis (yellowing leaves), root decay, crown rot and even an abrupt die-off of the entire crop.
Colloquially, the disease caused by this soil-borne pathogen is known as Southern blight.
Read MoreThe Southern University Law Center’s Cannabis Compliance, Law and Policy Institute, in partnership with the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, is hosting the third annual Cannabis and Hemp Continuing Education Symposium July 29-31.
“The cannabis industry, which includes marijuana and industrial hemp, is constantly evolving,” said Marla Dickerson, managing fellow of the Cannabis Compliance, Law, and Policy Institute. “Interest is growing and it is imperative that the SULC Cannabis Compliance, Law and Policy Institute helps to educate the community to enhance knowledge for patients, consumers, and industry persons” she said.
Read MoreMatt and Crystal Grayson hope to grow a Broussard hemp farm and one day become Amazon in the cannabis world.
The husband and wife duo moved to more rural Brusard lands to pursue their dream of selling their homes and growing and selling cannabis shortly before the pandemic. Zorrillo Cannabis Co.’s goal is to create a reputable business that connects growers, growers and customers.
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