Hemp, a versatile relative of marijuana, could be a lumber substitute and create a $10-20 billion industry in Florida, state officials say, according to a report by WPTV.
A law permitting the growth of the plant in Florida was legalized in the state’s latest legislative session (though the state’s agriculture department is still finalizing the rules for its growth). Officials anticipate the first plants could be ready for planting before the end of this year.
The move to legalize hemp comes in the wake of Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm that wiped out 72 million tons of the state’s timber resources, according to the report. State officials are encouraging timber growers to consider the crop once it becomes legalized, as it grows quicker than timber.
Hemp was also recently legalized in Kentucky, where one developer is turning the plant into flooring.
