Kentuckians who would like to participate in the state's industrial hemp research pilot program can now file their applications.

WKU's Agriculture Department is one of the 57 locations where the state allows for industrial hemp growth in its research pilot program.

Although, the Farm Bill includes the Hemp Farming Act, one professor at Western explained the process of the application and how it differs from growers.

"There's three different type of applications depending on whether you're a university, or an individual grower or a processor of hemp.

This application goes to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and they serve as the conduit between the grower or processor and the DEA because a permit is required to grow this crop, as of right now," says WKU Professor of Agronomy, Dr. Todd Willian.

Currently, hemp is listed on the banned and controlled substance list because of its similarity to marijuana.

Dr. Willian adds that one of the requirements in the application is to include the GPS coordinates of where you're going to grow the crop.