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Colorado shows off nation's first certified hemp seeds

Posted at 12:30 PM, Sep 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-07 14:30:54-04

FRUITA, Colo. – The Colorado Department of Agriculture showed off the nation’s first certified domestic hemp seeds Wednesday morning – another milestone in Colorado’s cannabis business.

Officials launched the development program in March, which officials say aims to bring industrial hemp back into agriculture. The seeds, grown and produced in Colorado, will receive CDA and Colorado Seed Growers Association approval and are available to be purchased by farmers.

CDA has worked with CSGA and Colorado State University over the past several months to breed plants that produce seeds under the 0.3 percent THC content threshold to qualify as hemp and not psychoactive marijuana.

Varying seed types were grown and tested in trials in different parts of the state in order to find ideal conditions for hemp so as to not put farmers at risk of having their plants destroyed should they buy the approved seeds.

Congress approved hemp production in 2014, but a state certification like Colorado’s is necessary to raise the crop.

Colorado farmers will be able to start buying and growing the seeds next year.

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