Congressman Bob Goodlatte, who represents much of the Shenandoah Valley in the House of Representatives, is against the legalization of marijuana, but has co-sponsored H.R. 3530, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2017.

Growing and processing hemp is against the law in the United States. But 6th District Representative Bob Goodlatte wants to see industrial hemp become a legal crop for farmers, and a JMU professor is developing that potential option.

Industrial hemp is an intriguing crop possibility for Virginia farmers. Craig Lee, former president of the Kentucky Hemp Growers Association, said at the field day that farmers should talk with their local representatives before thinking about planting the crop.

Thomas Jefferson thought it necessary to “the wealth and protection of the country.” Native American tribes grew it for centuries. And the U.S. government encouraged farmers to grow it “for victory” during World War II. But today, a plot of hemp could land its owner in jail.

Virginia Tech was one of the first universities in the state to apply for permits to research the crop. Virginia State University and James Madison University are also conducting research on the crop.

The administration claimed that removing restrictions on industrial hemp production would make it more difficult to differentiate industrial hemp from marijuana, according to Freitas.

What if you knew of a way to both extend this special leadership and secure a financial future for some next-generation farmers? What if the opening meant pushing back on ignorance and mislabeling, and some of our own misconceptions? Hemp is the opportunity, and the time is right now.

“Among the first settlers in Virginia, one of the conditions for them to be colonists here was that they were required to grow hemp,” said Dr. Michael Renfroe, JMU professor of biology who is doing the research with the farmers. “Hemp has been in Virginia as long as Europeans have been in Virginia.”

It used to be big business here in Virginia, but for decades hemp farming has been illegal, classified as a schedule 1 drug by the DEA. While it looks like marijuana and is related, its THC levels — the chemical that makes you high — are significantly lower.

This year, for the first time in about 70 years, a group of Virginia farmers harvested a small crop of hemp. It was permitted strictly for research, but a growing chorus — including politicians on the left and right — is pushing to cash in on a versatile crop that can be put to thousands of commercial uses and bring back lost jobs.

Among the many crops grown on Glenn Rodes’ family farm in Rockingham County this summer was one that has not been cultivated in Virginia for decades but that may have a chance at a comeback now, thanks to a slow shift in attitudes and the law.

Researchers at James Madison University are studying industrialized hemp in the Shenandoah Valley, looking at whether the crop can be grown using conventional agriculture.

Researchers at James Madison University are studying industrialized hemp in the Shenandoah Valley, looking at whether the crop can be grown using conventional agriculture.

The hemp plant is one of the oldest, cultivated crops on the planet, dating back at least 8 centuries. But it’s illegal to grow hemp in the United States, where it is classified as a schedule one drug, because it’s a relative of the marijuana plant.

The Virginia Industrial Hemp Coalition hosted its first Virginia Hemp History Day at the Vanguard Ranch on Sunday in hopes of educating the public on the often misunderstood plant and to push for more widespread use of hemp in products.

A proud group of industrial hemp supporters hoisted an American flag made of the crop on the Downtown Mall May 25, announcing that it would be presented to Willie Nelson—another major advocate for its legalization—at his concert that night.

The Manufacturing of Industrial Hemp for commercial purposes was approved according to Virginia's Legislation Information System. Governor Terry McAuliffe signed the bill after it passed the General Assembly 138 - 0.

In addition to the coalfield tax credits, Chafin said Monday he has introduced legislation to allow the commercial growing of industrial hemp when federal law allows it. Chafin said industrial hemp can be used in more than 25,000 products including food, textiles, building materials, and biofuels.

Today, the Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill to authorize the farming, and production of industrial hemp in the state for commercial purposes, setting the foundation for further action. The vote was 98-0.

In 2015, Virginia became one of the most recent states to legalize hemp. Hemp-based products are big sellers in the United States, despite the decades-long federal ban on the plant.