“What the DEA has done repeatedly now over the past several years is they withhold these permits until the last possible minute and they’re doing this on purpose to mess everything up," Bastcore founder John Lupien said. "There is no reason it should take months and months.”

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture sued the DEA in 2014 after the agency seized 250 pounds of seed the state planned to use for hemp research projects. The DEA eventually backed down and the state was able to move forward with its plans. Universities and farmers planted more than 922 acres in Kentucky last year, according to that state’s Department of Agriculture.

At least 28 states, including Nebraska, have adopted laws related to industrial hemp ranging from preliminary studies of the industry to authorization of commercial industrial programs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In Nebraska, only colleges can legally grow hemp. So far, UNL is the only school to apply to do so, according to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.