A local community college is paving the way for agricultural hemp production research. Lincoln Land Community College is conducting field research at its Springfield campus to test agricultural hemp production practices. According to a press release from the college today, it is currently the only college in Illinois doing such research.
The LLCC agriculture program planted five different varieties of CBD hemp to learn more about cultivating the crop and is currently in the process of harvesting. The focus is on hemp grown for CBD used in such products as oils, lotions, and tinctures.
Professor of Agronomy, Bill Harmon, says that the local ag community has generated a great deal of interest since it is now being allowed to be grown in the state for the first time since World War II. Harmon says the research will help local farmers make decisions on the viability of the crop into their own decisions.
Agricultural hemp was approved for commercial production in Illinois in 2019. By law, agricultural hemp must contain less than 0.3% total delta-9 THC, the active compound in cannabis.