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Financial Impact of Kentucky Hemp Remains to be Seen

Now that hemp seeds have made it into Kentucky soil, larger questions remain about the impact industrial hemp will have on the economy. 

Proponents like Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer say hemp has a market that includes hundreds of products ranging from cosmetics to automobile paneling.

University of Kentucky Agriculture Professor Will Snell

“It’s going to be a piece of the puzzle for some producers, potentially, but at the present time I think the market will evolve slowly, and don’t necessarily think at this point in time, especially in the short run, it would be a significant number of producers," says University of Kentucky Agriculture Professor Will Snell.

Snell co-authored at 2013 report that suggested only a few dozen jobs would be created and that hemp would amount to less than one percent of Kentucky’s farm cash receipts. 

Hear more about Kentucky’s hemp comeback and its prospects of boosting the economy during Morning Edition Monday at 7:50 a.m. central time, 8:50 a.m. eastern time.