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University of Nebraska-Lincoln launches hemp research

After months of paperwork and navigating bureaucratic red tape, University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers have planted their first crop of legal hemp.

About 150 plants with the distinctive frond leaf, previously relegated to roadside ditches, are nestled in warm and slightly humid greenhouses on UNL's East Campus.

While states like Colorado and Kentucky led the way in hemp cultivation, Nebraska’s path has been slow and halting. A bill that would have let Nebraska farmers apply to grow hemp got dusted by state legislators over fears it could be used as a cover for or gateway to marijuana. Senators eventually passed an amended bill restricting hemp research to colleges.

In February, UNL filed an application with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency for permission to import seeds. Researchers had to jump through numerous hoops, including reinforcing the floor below where the seeds would be kept with metal because the DEA feared someone could saw through the wood to get to them.

On June 23, the DEA gave UNL the go-ahead to order seeds from Italy and Canada.

Clemente’s focus is on genetically engineering hemp to produce oils in its stalks and leaves for use as industrial lubricants and plastics. Once the oil has been extracted, the remaining pulp and fibers can be used in making materials that include paper and cardboard.

Read more at the Lincoln Journal Star
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