Half of Tennessee farmers who participated in the state’s return to industrial hemp farming have yet to apply for a permit to grow the highly regulated seed again.
In 2015, approximately 50 farmers signed up to grow the crop. With two weeks left to apply, WBIR-TV reports that only 25 farmers have applied.
Cocke County farmer Chuck Mason says he thought the crop would be a "gold mine," but when seeds arrived more than a month late due to customs delays, the crop turned into a bust. Mason says he will return to growing hay this year.
Hemp is a variety of the cannabis plant and is low in THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
