Colorado is the first state in the nation to certify seeds for growing hemp, meaning they contain tiny amounts of the psychoactive chemical that gives marijuana its buzz, says the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. A state Agriculture Department official said certified seeds, the result of a project begun in March with Colorado State University and Colorado Seed Growers Association, will give hemp farmers confidence they are growing a legal plant.
“Industrial hemp is seen as having dozens of uses, from potential medicines to food to textiles, just to name a few,” said the Daily Sentinel. Colorado legalized industrial hemp and recreational marijuana in 2012. There are about 200 registered hemp growers in the state.
The requirements for certification are straightforward — plants must register less than 0.3 percent of the psychoactive substance tetrahydrocannabinol. Duane Sinning, head of the hemp program for the state Agriculture Department, said a certified seed program could give Colorado a boost over growers in other states.