Tribes Launch Hemp Project

The Colville Confederated Tribes have gone into hemp production.  The Tribes planted a 60-acre project on July 9th and plans to research the marketability of hemp seed and fiber products.

The Colville's are believed to be one of the first Native American Tribes in the U.S. to cultivate hemp as a marketable agricultural commodity, and are the first to be issued a permit by the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

Tribal Chairman Dr. Michael E. Marchand says industrial hemp production was unrestricted until 1938, and licensed hemp production in the United States continued until 1957.

According to the National Agricultural Library branch of the National Archives, the Colville region was already documented as being an ideal location for hemp cultivation as early as 1901.

Hemp production in North America was worth $600 million in 2016 and is growing at a rate of 25% annually.