Mancos farmer talks about seeds of change and growing pains
On a small research plot in Weber Canyon, three varieties of industrial hemp were planted on Monday, the first day of Hemp History Week.
Scott Perez, a second-year industrial hemp farmer from Mancos, hopes his three-quarter acre agrarian experiment sprouts a robust agricultural transformation that benefits farmers across America.
"I saw a headline this week that indicated the outlook for hemp was hazy," said Perez. "That's simply not true. Industrial hemp is on the verge of becoming an agricultural revolution."
Industrial hemp doesn't contain THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
"It's absurd," said Perez. "You could smoke a whole bale of this stuff, and all you're going to get is a headache and a cough."
"We grew hemp from the 16th century past World War II and all the way up to 1970," Perez said. "I don't understand why we have to reinvent the wheel."
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