Want to learn more about industrial hemp? Plan to attend Progressive 15’s Industrial Hemp Expo, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 14, at the Washington County Fairgrounds Events Center in Akron.

Barry Gore, Chairman of the Board of Progressive 15, believes “industrial hemp has the potential to provide a major economic boost to our region from the growing process to the manufacturing and finally selling a wide variety of products.”

“As an advocacy group for our region, this is a perfect subject to bring forward as the state and federal government look at policies and expanding legislation on hemp,” he said.

The event will feature a wide range of speakers talking about all aspects of growing hemp in northeast Colorado. Hemp, a plant sometimes confused with marijuana, was very prevalent in the U.S. from 1776 until 1937, and it was once illegal not to grow hemp. The law changed in the late 1930s, and what had been a required crop became banned. Now it has begun to make a comeback in several states, including Colorado. Wild hemp still grows throughout the country and many states in addition to Colorado are looking into the possibilities. Hemp is grown and used in various products in Europe and Canada.

The psychoactive ingredient THC is the distinguishing characteristic between hemp and marijuana. In industrial hemp, THC levels are less than 1 percent. Marijuana plants contain 20 to 30 percent THC.

One acre of hemp will produce as much paper as two to four acres of trees and can be harvested every 120 days. Other products that can be produced from hemp include biofuel, building materials, clothes, rope, oils, lotions, food, bedding for horses, cosmetics and nutrition. It is believed that hemp takes less water to grow, requires no pesticides and herbicides and only moderate amounts of fertilizer. The product also helps in environmental sustainability by protecting forests and providing non-toxic diesel fuel, paint, detergent, ink and lubricating oil.

The main focus of the expo is to sort fact from fiction when it comes to hemp. Experts will also help identify the rewards and barriers to growing industrial hemp. Among the topics to be covered will be banking, crop insurance, water usage, equipment to farm and harvest hemp, products that can be made, manufacturing possibilities in the region, law enforcement, research and farmers’ currently growing hemp.

Registration is $25 per person; lunch will be served. Everyone is encouraged to register in advance at www.progressive15.org. For more details as the event draws closer visit the Progressive 15 Facebook page.

Progressive 15 is a membership organization working in legislative and policy advocacy. More information can be found on www.progressive15.org.