Some New York farmers are taking advantage of new legislation, together.
Hempire State Growers is a farmer-focused cooperative of more than 30 multi-generational farmers from the Mid-Hudson Valley.
These New York hemp growers are taking advantage of new regulations Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed in December. The bill, (S.6184/A.7680), created a regulatory framework for the production, processing and sale of hemp and hemp extract in the state. The bill requires the hemp industry to test and label their products, a move designed to protect consumers from potential harm.
The cooperative is cultivating about 200 acres of hemp plants for cannabidiol (CBD) extraction and is working to create a CBD region in the state, Jason D. Minard, the cooperative’s in-house attorney and a grower told the Daily Freeman. Once processed, he said the cooperative can market the CBD oil as a “quality New York state organically-grown product.”
Minard says the legislation creates the most comprehensive legal framework in the nation and the regulations benefit farmers by setting clear standards with third-party audits and product labeling intended to deter fraudulent players.
"You have to be licensed to grow it, to process it and to sell it at retail," Minard said. "It's going to provide a safer more transparent process—no more fake CBD oil at gas stations."
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