Hemp History In Pennsylvania

By Jordan Gesko

IG: @jordangesko

Photos by Josh Spooner

IG: @spoonloon

Hemp History Week 2017 truly was a historic week for Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania planted their first legal hemp crop in 80 years.

Across the state, PA allowed 16 Industrial Hemp Licenses to organizations like Rodale Institute and Lehigh University. The organizations are studying hemp in all different soil for food and fiber. They are even trying to remediate the soil of an old coal mine by growing hemp there.

On June 10, 2017, Pennsylvania Hemp Industry Council and Hemp Heals Foundation hosted a celebration in Bethlehem, PA. I was really excited to be there. I brought my parents and one of my best friends. As soon as we got there, we were drinking hemp seed oil straight off the press. It was the best, warm, buttery taste I’ve ever had. There was live music and a bunch of hemp products. Hemp foods, drinks, clothing, building materials, soaps, CBD, a skateboard, and a BMW on display made from hemp fibergrass parts with hemp interior. I was very happy to see all of this.

Everyone who was there and spoke are awesome. I learned a lot more about the past and future of hemp in Pennsylvania. PA was once one of the leading hemp producers, and now it’s coming back. The event had cool stuff going on the whole time. Artisan Hemp was doing hemp paper making workshops and Lime Works did a building with hempcrete demonstration.

My Mom and I volunteered to mix the hempcrete. It is so light and easy to work with. This was my second experience with hempcrete. The first time was when I met Riley Cote, founder of Hemp Heals Foundation. He hosted a building with hempcrete workshop in 2015. It was a lot of fun. 

Check back to find out what Riley Cote he and the PA Hemp Industrial Council have been working on.