Hempwood turns hemp plant fibers into lumber and flooring. Growing hemp was legalized in Kentucky in 2018, and Hempwood adapted the process of bamboo wood manufacturing to use hemp fibers in 2019.
Proprietor Greg Wilson says the sale of Hempwood's flooring, paneling and lumber products has grown 80 per cent in the past year. The company has a growing number of patents, and is a sponsoring partner of the Center for Agricultural Hemp at Murray State University.
Wilson said the hemp used in their manufacturing is grown by Kentucky farmers, and mostly in Calloway County.
Senator Paul is a proponent of industrial hemp, which was legal for most of America's history. It was banned in 1937 because it was related to the marijuana plant, even though it's not psychoactive. The ban was lifted several times when imports of hemp to the U.S. were threatened in wartime.
For centuries, hemp has been used for animal feed, textiles, insulation, oil products, and in Hempwood's case, lumber.
Hempwood is located off KY 94 between Murray and Cadiz.
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