State laws could send Memphis hemp industry up in smoke
“It’s pretty devastating to the hemp industry, farmers and, really, just anyone interested in cannabis in Tennessee,” said Cam Heil, the director of operations and business management at Ounce of Hope. “In the state our economy is in, to be closing businesses and reducing jobs, well, it’s a pretty huge mistake.” (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
The beating heart of Shelby County’s $20 million hemp industry is located inside a nondescript warehouse in South Memphis. You wouldn’t realize you just drove past.
Run by Ounce of Hope, a Memphis-based grower and retailer, the aquaponic farm features five rows of hemp plants growing in a highly controlled indoor environment built to optimize year-round growth. Among other cover crops, marigold flowers sit at the end of each row, acting as a natural insect warning system.
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Ben Stanley
Ben Stanley is a veteran journalist, originally from New Zealand. Now living in Memphis, he has extensive experience as an international correspondent.
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