Workshop offered on New York’s hemp-growing pilot program

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A hemp industry trade group is holding a workshop for people interested in New York’s hemp-growing pilot program.

The state is offering 10 licenses that allow universities to grow hemp or partner with farmers to grow it. A central New York farm paired with Morrisville State College harvested the state’s first crop in September.

Advocates say New York growers can profit from the $600 million hemp industry, which relied on imports until the 2014 Farm Bill opened the door for U.S. farmers to grow it. Hemp cultivation had been banned for decades because it’s related to marijuana - although hemp can’t get you high.

The New York chapter of the Hemp Industries Association is hosting a workshop Saturday afternoon at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany (https://bit.ly/2eydKPq ).