Kentucky's agriculture commissioner says the economic case for industrial hemp remains strong, despite a new study that paints a mixed picture.
James Comer says he still has high hopes for the crop, following the release of the University of Kentucky study that says the legalization of hemp wouldn't immediately produce the thousands of jobs some supporters have predicted. Comer maintains there is big interest in hemp among many U.S. companies.
"We've had more than 20 companies come to our office, fly in to Lexington and Louisville and meet with us in our office in Frankfort aboutthe possibility of locating in Kentucky and processing industrial hemp.” –James Comer
The chair of UK's agricultural economics department and study co-author, Leigh Maynard, says it could take a while for a hemp market to develop in the U.S., delaying any major economic impact on the commonwealth.