Gov. Andrew Cuomo was in Syracuse Wednesday for another regional state of the state address and mentioned that he would like to see hemp farming grow in the Southern Tier.
“I believe hemp farming has great economic potential,” he said. “The Southern Tier is actually ideal for hemp farming, we believe it could be a billion-dollar industry (and) we want the Southern Tier to lead the way.”
The state introduced an industrial hemp program in 2014 after legislation by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo. Cuomo’s new proposal would allow private farms and businesses to begin growing hemp for sale and distribution.
