Oregon State University to Launch Global Hemp Innovation Institute

Oregon State University announced that it plans to open the largest hemp research center in the United States. The Global Hemp Innovation Institute will strive to be the world’s most comprehensive research facility for hemp in the areas of plant research, food innovation, pharmacy, public health, public policy, business and engineering. As of May, over 1,300 hemp growers obtained licenses in Oregon to cultivate over 42,000 acres of land.

OSU will be the first university in the nation to launch a hemp seed certification program for the state’s Department of Agriculture. The university will also create ten (10) hemp experimental growing sites that will across the state to understand how the plant reacts to different growing conditions including soil and temperatures.

OSU currently has forty (40) faculty members who are actively engaged in research or teaching courses on hemp. The university intends to continue to push its global dominance in hemp research, and regain its prominence for hemp research in the US. From the 1880’s through 1932, OSU led the national hemp research program with the US Department of Agriculture.