There’s more interest in hemp than anything he’s ever seen, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson said at Farmfest. The crop has potential and he’s supported legalization for 20 years, but he urged caution. The U.S. doesn’t have any processing for fiber hemp and cannabidiol is lucrative, but controversial.

“The CBD market is out there, it’s pretty lucrative, but if everybody grows hemp that’s talking about it you will collapse that market and screw that up,” Peterson said. “I think people need to slow down. This could be the Jerusalem artichokes of our generation so be careful.”

Kevin Edberg, executive director of St. Paul-based Cooperative Development Services, made similar comments at a March hemp meeting in southern Minnesota. “I do believe there are industrial uses for this product that are legitimate,” however, “this crop scares the hell out of me.” He encouraged potential growers to do pre-feasibiilty research. Study what’s going on in Canada’s established hemp industry, he said.

Here’s some of the latest news on hemp:

In Nebraska, the Lancaster County Attorney isn’t moving forward with possession of marijuana charges for four University of Nebraska football players because he can’t determine if the individuals had marijuana or hemp. The two plants are related, but hemp has THC content of .3% or less. There are no labs in the state that can test for THC percentage. – KETV.com

Federal agriculture officials are struggling to craft a nationwide THC testing standard so that state and local regulations can tell hemp from marijuana, complicating the release of standardized production rules, according to a USDA official. – Hemp Industry Daily

A truck driver delivering hemp legally grown in Colorado to a processor in Minnesota was stopped and arrested in South Dakota. The Minnesota Hemp Association is protesting. – KSFY.com

In South Dakota, the Industrial Hemp Study Committee is looking into the cost of implementing an industrial hemp program, the economic impacts of the production and sale of industrial hemp, the potential costs and challenges for law enforcement and requirements for registration, licenses, permits, seed certification and seed access. – Sioux Falls Argus Leader

Sheepscot General Farm plans to open their 3-acre hemp plot to pick-your-own customers. The Maine farm is one of few to be certified organic. – Bangor Daily News