The inaugural Texas hemp crop is expected to be planted soon, after state regulators on Monday officially opened the online-only application process for prospective growers.

The move by the Texas Department of Agriculture to begin taking applications — which, if all goes as planned, will result in initial licenses and permits within weeks — culminates years of effort by hemp proponents to enable farmers in the state to grow the non-psychoactive cousin of marijuana.

Hemp has a number of consumer and industrial uses, and certain varieties are considered a good fit for environmental conditions in Texas. Prices for hemp have slumped nationwide, however, dragged down by a supply glut.

But the recent price declines didn’t deter what shaped up to be a brisk pace of opening-day applications to the agriculture department Monday. The Texas Department of Agriculture said it had received 110 applications from growers by early afternoon, as well as about 25 more from people aiming to transport or otherwise handle hemp in Texas.

Among other requirements, hemp applicants must pass background checks showing they haven’t had felony drug convictions within the past 10 years.

“Hemp is an exciting opportunity for Texas farmers — but listen, it’s not without its risks,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller says at the start of a 25-minute informational video on his agency’s website that applicants for licenses are required to watch.

The video outlines the extensive regulations to which growers must adhere, and it highlights other relevant issues, such as a lack of available crop insurance for hemp in Texas so far.

“As your agriculture commissioner, I want to give you the greatest chance of success if you choose to grow hemp,” Miller says. “What this video won’t do is tell you how to grow hemp and make a profit. We are going to leave that up to you.”

It won’t be cheap for prospective Texas growers to give hemp a try, however, even for those who just want to experiment with a small plot.

Texas hemp farmers must pay $100 for a one-year license, followed by $100 for “facilities registration” documenting where their crop will be produced or stored and then $100 for a permit to actually start planting. Separate permits are required for each hemp field and variety, and separate registrations are required for each facility.

In addition, growers will have to foot the bill for mandated third-party sampling and testing to ensure their hemp crop doesn’t exceed the legal threshold for tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the substance in marijuana that induces a high. Crops that exceed the limit must be destroyed.

The Texas Legislature legalized hemp last summer, and the Texas Department of Agriculture has worked since then to develop rules and testing requirements, and to get a green light from the federal government. The 2018 U.S. farm bill set the stage for hemp to be legalized nationwide, although about three dozen states — but not Texas — already allowed it because they’d previously opted to participate in a federal hemp pilot program.