MARISA WOJCIK:

341 applications have been submitted by people in Wisconsin wanting to get in on the state’s new hemp industry. Wisconsin is no stranger to hemp farming. In 1920, the state was the largest producer of hemp in the nation, with more acres growing than all other states combined. World War II was also a boom time for hemp production in the Badger State, with the plant fiber in high demand. After the war, federal regulations on the plant increased and demand decreased, making the industry in the state disappear. In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act equated hemp with marijuana, making it illegal to grow. Okay, so why are we growing hemp now? Wisconsin Act 100 was passed late last year. This legislation allows the state to start its own industrial hemp research pilot program. But there are rules that farmers must abide by. The first is record keeping and reporting. The hemp crops must also be tested for THC, that funny and illegal substance found in marijuana. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection says that the pool of applicants ranges from people in their 70s to people in their 20s, from people who are experienced growers to people who are trying farming for the first time. What surprised officials the most was the number of applications for greenhouse growing, showing the potential for hemp to be grown year-round and in urban settings. Estimates report that the United States imports $600 million in hemp annually and that we use it more than any other country. So what can you do with hemp? There’s a lot, actually. It can be extracted for its oils. Its grains can be used in food and beverages. Its fiber can be used in textiles, construction materials, fiberglass, and plastics, and it can even be carbonized and used in super-capacitor batteries. With Wisconsin’s rich hemp history and agricultural know-how, there’s plenty of reasons to believe that the state will soon be a leader in the industry.