Hemp in Pennsylvania: Commodity Crop or Shadow Cannabis Market?

Hemp in Pennsylvania: Commodity Crop or Shadow Cannabis Market?

Author: Eric Hurlock, Digital Editor February 2, 2026 Duration: 33:32

We're back. Season 9 of the Hemp Show is here.

In this season opener of the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast, we'll take you inside a hearing organized by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania that was meant to explain the hemp industry to state lawmakers — and ended up revealing something else entirely.

The original intent of hemp in the Farm Bill was about agriculture and manufacturing, but the conversation has been dominated by intoxicating cannabinoids, chemical definitions and law enforcement concerns.

This episode weaves together testimony from regulators, business owners and legislators and ultimately asks a simple but important question: When "hemp" is used to describe everything, what does the word actually mean anymore?

Will farmers who want to grow fiber and grain get the short end of the stick again?

Listen to what the hearing revealed and why clear definitions may be the key to Pennsylvania's hemp future.

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Learn More:

Pennsylvania Hemp Program (PA Dept. of Agriculture)

https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Plants_Land_Water/industrial_hemp

Video of the Hemp Industry Hearing (Pennsylvania Farm Show)

https://vimeo.com/1154816396/314acd404f

Center for Rural Pennsylvania (Hearing Organizer)

https://www.rural.pa.gov

2018 Farm Bill – Hemp Definition (USDA)

https://www.usda.gov/farmbill

Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast Archive

https://www.lancasterfarming.com/podcasts/hemp

Thanks to our Sponsors:

IND HEMP

https://indhemp.com

Americhanvre

https://americhanvre.com

King's AgriSeeds

https://kingsagriseeds.com

Hempcutter.com

https://hempcutter.com

HEMI

hempinitiatives.org/


There’s a quiet revolution happening in fields and factories, and it’s centered on a single, versatile plant. Industrial Hemp Podcast, guided by Eric Hurlock, the Digital Editor at Lancaster Farming, moves beyond the headlines to explore what’s actually happening on the ground. This isn’t just theoretical discussion; it’s a direct line to the people driving the industry forward. Each episode features conversations with the farmers who are planting and harvesting these crops, facing very real agronomic challenges and opportunities. You’ll also hear from researchers, processors, and policy experts who are shaping the future of hemp for fiber, grain, and other industrial applications. The dialogue digs into the practicalities-from planting techniques and harvesting equipment to market trends, regulatory hurdles, and technological innovations that are changing the game. It’s a clear-eyed look at an agricultural sector finding its footing, reported by journalists with deep roots in farming communities. For anyone curious about the business, science, and sheer hard work behind industrial hemp, this podcast serves as an essential, grounded resource. Tune in for honest talk that cuts through the hype and gets to the root of this growing field.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Industrial Hemp Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Estelle Delangle — Building a Whole-Plant Hemp Bioeconomy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:53
This is part three of a ten-part podcast series documenting the European Industrial Hemp Association's 23rd Annual Conference in Poznan, Poland, at the Institute of Fiber Plants and Medicinal Medicine, June 10-12. Estell…
Ken Elliott & Rusty Peterson — What US Hemp Can Learn From Europe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:24
This is part one of a ten-part podcast series documenting the European Industrial Hemp Association's 23rd Annual Conference in Poznan, Poland, at the Institute of Fiber Plants and Medicinal Medicine, June 10-12. The seri…
Meet Ursa Alta, The New Low-THC Fiber Cultivar from Cornell AgriTech [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:26
This week on the Hemp Show, Larry Smart returns to talk about Ursa Alta, the new low-THC hemp variety that Cornell AgriTech has released for commercial production. The variety has been seven years in the making. "We had…
Can the Goodness of Hemp Act Fix What's Broken in Hemp? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:20
This week Morgan Tweet returns to the Hemp Show to talk about the Goodness of Hemp Act, a draft legislation she's confident will set the broader hemp industry on the path toward sensible regulation. She was on the show l…
Meet NHA's New Director Sully Sullivan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:05
This week on the Hemp Show we meet Sully Sullivan. He's the new executive director at the National Hemp Association — and what a time to be taking the helm of a hemp association. So much is up in the air right now. What…
Farm to Flow: Trace Femcare and the Future of Hemp Fiber Tampons [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:18
This week on the Hemp Show, Claire Crunk returns. She is the founder of Trace Femcare, the worlds first hemp fiber tampon. Her first appearance on the podcast was in 2023. Her company was just a few weeks away from their…
Stacking Up with Renewabuild Great Plains [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:45
This week on the show we talk with Ken Meyer of Complete Hemp Processing in Winfred, South Dakota. As of last week, Meyer is also a co-founder of Renewabuild Great Plains — the first U.S.-licensed manufacturer of structu…
Steve Groff and the Great Wall of Hemp [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:36
HOLTWOOD, Pa. — This week on the Hemp Podcast we take a short road trip to southern Lancaster County to catch up with farmer Steve Groff. "What we're looking at here, Eric, is a metaphor for the hemp industry. We're look…
Getting From HempToday to Hemp Tomorrow with Kehrt Reyher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:01
This week on the Hemp Show, we talk to Kehrt Reyher, CEO and publisher of HempToday, a leading source of global hemp news. An American expat from Indiana who has lived in Poland for more than 30 years, Reyher cut his tee…