HARTFORD — The Connecticut Department of Agriculture has received three reported incidents of theft from licensed hemp growers in Simsbury, North Stonington and Redding, CT. Reports include uprooting of plants and missing tops, totaling nearly 200 disturbed plants, or the equivalent of one-eighth of an acre.
The agency reminds the public that while hemp plants look like marijuana, hemp is not an intoxicant. The 2018 Farm Bill redefines hemp as a raw agricultural commodity provided the THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) content is not more than 0.3% on a dry matter basis. THC is the psychoactive compound found in cannabis plants.
To date there are 86 licensed hemp growers with 318 licensed acres in Connecticut. Growers who experience a theft or disturbance of plants are required to report to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture. Please contact the agency at 860-713-5202 or AGR.Hemp@ct.gov, as well as your local police department.
For more information on the Connecticut Hemp Research Pilot Program, visit www.ctgrown.gov/hemp.
–Connecticut Department of Agriculture
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