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Indiana And Michigan Farmers Eager To Begin Growing Hemp

Claire Harbage/NPR

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Farmers in Indiana and Michigan are preparing to grow hemp as a legal agricultural commodity following the declassification of industrial hemp as a narcotic with the passage of the federal Farm Bill in 2018.


Hundreds of permits have been issued to plant thousands of acres of hemp in the two Midwestern states.


Milan Kluko of New Buffalo, Michigan has been hydroponically cultivating fresh produce for years. Kluko says he hopes to grow hemp on a trial basis this year.


PHM Brand is a Denver-based food manufacturer operating just 10 miles from Kluko in Michigan City, Indiana. PHM intends to invest over $6 million in an old plant that will be used to process cannabidiol from hemp plants.