UMES Hosts first ever Industrial Hemp Conference

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – On Thursday, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore hosted its first ever Industrial Hemp Conference.

If you’re not familiar, hemp is relative of marijuana and has trace amounts of THC, so its not psychoactive.

We’re told this is the first year the Federal Government has allowed hemp to be grown in the State of Maryland under its pilot program.

The overall purpose of Thursday’s conference was to provide stakeholders information on the production and management aspects of hemp, the marketing and processing information for hemp and the legal regulations for hemp production.

Sadanand Dhekney, an Associate Professor of Agriculture and Plant Breeding said, “So having a conference like this really brings people together in one room where they can get information on not only the production and the marketing side but also the legal aspect which is very important from a compliance point of view.”

Experts tell us that by 2025, it’s estimated there might be a million acres of hemp growing in the United States.

Organizers say they plan on hosting this conference again next year.