Reuben Riehl, a Chester County native, is a hemp visionary who hopes to turn Lancaster County into a major player in the cannabis industry, writes Zoe Greenberg for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

However, it takes some effort to convince his Amish community, and even himself sometimes, that selling hemp-derived wares is a good idea.

“There are some people in the community that are still completely against it,” he said.

Five years ago, when the federal Farm Bill made it legal to grow, process, transport, and sell hemp across the country, excitement over CBD hit Lancaster County.

Riehl saw an opportunity, partnered with Amish farmers, and founded Lancaster County Marketing in 2020. But a huge boom quickly oversaturated the market, leaving many farmers without buyers for their crops. So this year, Pennsylvania only permitted 290 acres for hemp, compared to 4,000 in 2019.

This has caused the majority of Amish farmers in the neighboring county to return to tobacco as their primary cash crop.

But Riehl has not given up on his dream. He hopes the industry will stabilize soon and his company will be able to truly take off.

Read more about Reuben Riehl’s efforts to turn Lancaster County into a major player in the cannabis industry in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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