Giadha Aguirre de Carcer, CEO and Founder of New Frontier Data, summarized the findings in a press release: “The 29 U.S. states reporting licensed hemp cultivation acreage total almost half a million acres in combined cultivation land area, which is a massive increase compared to 2018 figures of a total land area barely over 100,000 acres. While there continues to be uncertainty and a healthy amount of confusion around hemp cultivation for CBD production, it is clear that demand is nonetheless continuing to rise across the United States. As states issue more licenses, consumer demand increases, and mass-market retailers such as CVS and Walgreens continue to expand their own product offerings, we expect the FDA may be forced to provide further regulatory clarifications sooner rather than later.”
Related: Licenses to Cultivate Hemp Up 476% in 2019 Hemp Crops in Hawaii Destroyed Sunsoil Doubles Hemp Acreage
Other highlights include:- At least 70% of the 2019 U.S. hemp harvest is intended for extract production
- Colorado has over 80,000 acres of hemp reported, leading the nation in hemp cultivation
- Oregon, Kentucky, Tennessee and Montana lead in hemp program expansion efforts
- Tennessee leads in total hemp licenses issued in 2019
- California is poised to be the top-producing hemp state for both conventional and organic production as thousands of acres have already been planted this year
