CBD oil, the extract from hemp plants, has been called the miracle molecule.

As of last week, Big Sky Scientific LLC, a hemp company based in Aurora, Colorado, is suing Idaho State Police (ISP) and Ada County after the two were at odds over whether or not the product they were transporting through Idaho was pot.

“I'm focused on educating people on what CBD and hemp can do. Many people don't know about it. There are still too many misconceptions,” Biddle told the Times-Mirror.

District Hemp, the first hemp-based CBD store in Virginia, opened its second store in Leesburg on Friday.

It has been a good week for hemp lovers. On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 into law, officially legalizing industrial hemp in all 50 states.

“Our contention is to convert some hay farmers to hemp,” Grant said. “The farmer will net more money per acre with it.”

There are various ways advocates pitch growing hemp as a crop, but at one point there is almost always this familiar refrain: “It’s not marijuana. You can’t get high off of it.”

For the first time in decades, a new state law makes it legal to buy and process industrial hemp in Virginia. A company in the Shenandoah Valley hopes to be the first to do just that.

Anavii Market, an online retailer that verifies and sells hemp-derived CBD products, has been awarded a $4,000 grant from the Bluegrass Angels’ (BGA) Launch Grant Fund.

Once a staple crop in colonial Virginia, it was later banned and labeled a dangerous drug. But even though it’s now OK to grow it here, there are still plenty of challenges and legal roadblocks ahead because of its controversial cousin, the marijuana plant.

The Rodes family has grown a number of crops at Riverhill Farms over the years, but one in particular is drawing a lot of interest. Glenn Rodes joined James Madison University biology professor Michael Renfroe on April 26 to tell Page County farmers about his experience growing industrial hemp.

“Kentucky and Virginia both have a rich hemp history with strong legislative support for growing their hemp markets,” said Anavii Market partner Jason Amatucci, the Founder and CEO of the Virginia Industrial Hemp Coalition.

Four speakers discussed hemp as a crop Friday at the 14th annual Forum for Rural Innovation at the Clarion Inn Conference Center in Winchester.

“Under the industrial hemp side of things, this is going to be a nutraceutical, wellness product,” Redfern said. “Not medicine.”

"Margins are so low on traditional crops. We're all looking for crops that would have a higher margin where we could make a little money on them," Rodes said. He currently grows hemp for researchers at James Madison University and would like to grow it either for feed or to sell.

More than 150 people from at least 10 states are in Danville to attend the Industrial Hemp Summit at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, which kicked off Monday night with a reception for guests.

Even Virginia’s top agriculture official has vowed to boost Virginia’s hemp market by pushing legislation to allow farmers to sell hemp and businesses to process the plant.

By listening to the passion in his voice, you can tell that Jason is on a mission. After discovering the knowledge he has and the actions he has already taken, you can bet your last dollar Jason will succeed in his mission.

The Virginia Industrial Hemp Coalition held a field day on Friday, Sept. 15 where hemp was harvested and local law enforcement officials as well as U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte attended.