According to the Tennessee State Department of Agriculture, there are 226. licensed hemp growers in Tennessee.

One of those men operates in Cheatham County, where this past weekend he became the victim of a rare crime.

Charles Durocher paid $284 for the state granted industrial hemp growers license.

He planted the seeds, he works the field, and he was getting close to realizing a profit from his labors.

But that profit will be less after hemp thieves entered his Cheatham County property and cut down what he calls his 20 best plants that were around 10-feet high.

Charles Durocher and his farmhand, Bryan Nicholson said, they are angry and feel violated.

“Yes sir, very angry,” the men said in unison.

“That’s a lot of money out of his pocket,” said Nicholson.

Charles Durocher adds, “it’s my very first crop.”

“For someone to come onto someone else’s property and steal from them is low down,” said Nicholson.

Sometime between Friday night and Sunday morning, Durocher says the crime happened.

“They knew what it was. It was a straight up thief.”

Durocher says the thieves came onto the property and stole 20 ten-foot tall plants

“They took a shovel and dug them up. Yes, they knew what they were doing,” said Durocher.

When asked about the hemp farm, the farmers explain the hemp plants don’t have high concentrations of THC, so they won’t get you high

“Maybe give you a headache,” Nicholson jokes.

The farmers explain that hemp has many other applications.

“The uses for hemp are almost endless,” said Nicholson.

According to the men, the plants in this field will be eventually be processed to create any number of products from CBD oil to fibers and plastics used by a variety of industries, that include paper, rope, and clothing.

According to the farmers, the thieves knew what they were doing.

“20 of my best plants were stolen. I’m upset about it, lost a lot of money this summer on this crop. I was banking on this crop, and now someone took from me and I’m pretty irritated by it,” said Durocher.

The farmers say the plants probably sell for about $400 a pound. So according to one of the farm hands, Tristen Kirby, these plants that were taken could be especially valuable.

“Yes, could go $800-$1200 dollars per 10-foot plant.”

The men estimate the 20 plants had a value of close to $14,000. That’s considered a felony.

If you have any information about who stole the hemp plants..you are urged to contact the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Department.

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