Online

Falkner, Amanda

Community Development and Applied Economics

2022

M.S.

As highlighted by its history, the association between hemp and marijuana has proven to be a barrier to success for industrial hemp production for decades. Once a prevalent agricultural crop in the United States, prohibitive legislation discouraged its production and formally made hemp an illegal crop in 1970. Consequently, hemp and its myriad applications remained underutilized by the United States for over forty years. It wasn't until the 2014 Farm Bill that hemp production was reintroduced as an option for farmers. This hemp hiatus has created the need for interdisciplinary research in order for the market for the crop to be successful. Given the relative novelty of hemp as an agricultural commodity and an increased interest in its production, the purpose of this thesis is twofold. First, it analyzes whether or not there is consistency across state and tribal government hemp production plans. Adopting legislative consistency would ensure an even playing field across state and tribal borders, mitigate any confusion that comes with the variation among plans, and provide an opportunity for the integrity of these hemp programs to be preserved. Using the results of this analysis, suggestions are provided for the appropriate governing bodies. Second, this thesis provides insight into consumer preferences for hemp-based products. Such information can be used by hemp growers, CBD producers, and other actors along the supply chain, and is particularly valuable given the oversaturation the United States industrial hemp market has experienced in recent years. By differentiating their hemp and hemp-based products, producers will be able to better match their production to market demand, thereby aiding in their success. The findings of this thesis contribute to the developing area of current hemp-based research in the United States.