The state Agriculture Department is beginning a hemp pilot program.
The Department’s Rachel Seifert-Spilde says industrial hemp may only be grown by a university or in a pilot research program.
"We will request proposals from producers," said Seifert-Spilde. "It will be open through January first of 2016. Producers will fill out a research proposal."
Seifert-Spilde says a committee will screen the applicants – and will choose who gets to plant hemp.
"We wanted to give folks enough time to put together great proposals," said Seifert-Spilde. "But we also wanted to have enough time to apply for the import permits to get hemp seed imported into the US."
Seifert-Spilde says the Ag Department has recently received registration from the Drug Enforcement Administration to import hemp seed. Hemp is a cousin of marijuana.
Seifert-Spilde says she thinks there is a lot of interest in hemp.