The 2022 Pennsylvania Hemp Summit ran Tuesday and Wednesday in Lancaster, featuring nearly 100 hemp growers and entrepreneurs.
Industrial hemp is grown for fiber and seed. It is a different variety of the plant that produces marijuana and became regulated with marijuana in the 1950s and 1960s. Industrial hemp must maintain a concentration of the psychoactive chemical tetrahydrocannabinol below the 0.3 percent legal threshold.
“Industrial hemp is an economic driver delivering innovative approaches to everyday challenges,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said, opening the trade show. “From building materials to manufactured goods, to conservation and soil remediation, industrial hemp and its byproducts are sparking innovative and competitive solutions while growing opportunities for Pennsylvania farmers and manufacturers. The PA Hemp Summit provides a platform for growers, entrepreneurs, and industry experts to share ideas and address challenges while growing the next generation of agricultural entrepreneurs.”
The Wolf Administration has invested nearly $1 million in the state’s hemp industry.
The PA Farm Bill has invested more than $864,000 in the hemp industry over the last three years. A portion of the funding came from the 2014 federal Farm Bill which authorized the growth of hemp for agricultural research.
“Team Pennsylvania hosts the Hemp Summit because of the economic opportunity and need for collaboration across public and private sectors to capitalize on the potential for hemp,” said Abby Smith, president and CEO of Team Pennsylvania, a nonprofit. “By convening industry stakeholders, we can catalyze partnerships, networks, and idea generation that is necessary to help build this industry in the commonwealth.”
Act 92 established the Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program in 2016.