By Amy Joi O’Donoghue | KSL
Who knew there are cannabis strains named Merlot, Cherry Blossom, Tokyo, and even Obama and Trump?
Some of Utah’s farmers do, as they planted a few of these varieties during the 2019 growing season after industrial hemp was legalized across the country as a commodity by President Donald Trump last year.
Kenny McFarland grew cloned plants on 8 acres in Weber County to try it out.
“Trump was super aggressive,” McFarland said of his plants, drawing laughter from a crowded room of farmers at Friday’s annual convention of the Utah Farm Bureau at the Davis Conference Center in Layton.
Farmers paid $500 for a license to grow industrial hemp in Utah over the summer, with 290 cultivation licenses issued by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. Of those, 190 were active for a growing season that starts in early summer and a harvest that plays out over September and October.
