ONEIDA - Come autumn, you'll see fields of green on the Oneida reservation.

Amid changing tides for hemp in Wisconsin, the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin will grow the crop this summer as part of a state pilot program geared toward exploring its myriad uses.

And for the tribe, the possibilities seem endless.

"It’s kind of crazy how many things you can make with hemp," said Ernie Stevens III, a member of the General Tribal Council.

Hemp is a cousin of the marijuana plant that contains very little THC, the active ingredient in pot. Wisconsin was once the second-largest producer of hemp in the United States, but production halted after the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 began classifying all forms of marijuana, including hemp, as a Schedule I drug.

The plant began to reemerge in 2014 when the federal government permitted states to allow growth under pilot programs with universities or state agricultural departments. The feds also distinguished hemp from marijuana, defining it as a plant with less than 0.3% THC.

That measure allowed former Gov. Scott Walker to OK a pilot program for Wisconsin farmers in 2017, which has issued over 1,400 grower licenses and 672 processor licenses since its onset. Another 227 grower licenses and 123 processor licenses are pending approval.

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The tribe first discussed hemp production several years ago, with the hope of growing the crop for medicinal and industrial purposes. The council began educating members in 2017, but tribal members were hesitant because the federal government considered hemp a Schedule I narcotic.

"We had to find a way to prove it ourselves that this is not a narcotic, regardless of the federal government’s position," Stevens said.

Wisconsin tribes' relationship with hemp has been a complicated one. In 2015, the Drug Enforcement Agency raided the Menominee Indian Tribe's hemp crop and seized 30,000 plants, alleging they may have contained marijuana. The tribe sued the DEA and U.S. Department of Justice, contending it could legally grow hemp under the 2014 Farm Bill, but a judge dismissed the lawsuit.

Back at Oneida, legal hiccups prevented the tribe from growing 5 acres last year under Wisconsin's pilot program. But the game changed again with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, which removes hemp from the list of controlled substances.

The Oneida Nation is ready. In June, it will plant 32 acres of hemp that can be harvested this fall. The tribe hasn't pursued a processor's license, said project manager Mike Troge, but the state permits growers to process their hemp for internal use. Any product not used internally requires a licensed processor, something the tribe is exploring.

Each part of the hemp plant has its own uses, and the tribe plans to utilize every bit of it. One of the more promising opportunities, tribal members said, is the growth of cannabidiol, or CBD, a component of cannabis that doesn't contain THC. Research shows CBD can be effective in treating pain, anxiety and other ailments.

"There seems to be a lot of hope that CBD is going to be a big revenue generator," Troge said.

The Oneida aren't going to stop at CBD, though. Hemp can also be used for twine, fabric, animal feed, paper and concrete, but the tribe is taking production one step at a time, particularly because hemp is a "persnickety" plant that requires a lot of care, Troge said.

“We’re not counting our money before we get it," he said.

Still, there's a cautious optimism driving the project. Stevens believes hemp will create opportunities for tribal members and spur economic development, entrepreneurship and potentially even trade with other nations.

"At the end of the day, this is something that can improve our system in a lot of different ways," he said. "We’re going to take a sovereign approach to improve our overall systems of well-being for tribal members and our neighbors."