Uninformed Thieves Steal Hemp, Thinking It’s Marijuana, from Amish Farmers in Chester County

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Amish farmers in Chester County are facing a growing problem of uninformed thieves who keep stealing their hemp, most likely thinking it is marijuana, writes Adam Hermann for PhillyVoice.

Several farmers were forced to install an electric fence, but this proved to be fruitless.

“We just had 20 plants stolen,” said one farmer. “They are taking them in the middle of the day.”

Each stolen plant costs the farmers between $5 and $6.

Hemp was legalized for growing in Pennsylvania and nationwide last year. However, the plant is often confused with marijuana, which is not legal to grow in Pennsylvania.

Both hemp and marijuana contain cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol. These lead to the psychoactive high, but they are present in drastically different amounts. Marijuana can reach close to 30 percent THC by dry weight, while hemp never passes 0.3 percent.

Instead, hemp is used in a variety of products, such as rope, clothing, bioplastics, and insulation.

In addition to low-voltage electric fences, the farmers have installed signs explaining the difference between the two products. However, their attempts to dissuade thefts have proved unsuccessful.

Read more about the issue at PhillyVoice here.

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