Four Chattanooga natives have started out this year on establishing a thriving local hemp farming operation.
J.P. Cisco. a Hixson High graduate, said, "We are starting a family and friend-owned hemp company. We are Happy Hemp Farm."
Other founders are Nik Shipley, Lookout Valley graduate; Joshua Cisco, Red Bank grad, and Dominic Ratliff, who was born here but finished high school in Knoxville.
J.P. Cisco, who graduated from UTK in business supply chain management, said, "We are unique as we are trying to create and document our startup in the hemp industry.
We want to create transparency about who we are and what we are doing."
He said the group is farming on 10 acres in Chattanooga. "We have a farm off Highway 58 and one in Hixson."
Hemp and marijuana are both in the Cannabis family, but hemp farmers say there are many differences.
Mr. Cisco said, "We will also be processing our hemp for CBD oil. And then we will be retailing under the Happy Hemp Farmacy Brand.
"This is very very new industry and presents a great opportunity for a documentary of our trials, troubles, tribulations in the hemp industry."
The local group is licensed through the state of Tennessee Department of Agriculture to grow industrial hemp in the state of Tennessee.