The last swipe of a bevy of product composition rules fell on the Hawaii hemp industry in mid-December 2024.

Governor Josh Green approved rules limiting cannabis-constituent compounds known as delta 9 tetrahydroannabinol (THC) in hemp products to 0.00028%.

Although this compound naturally occurs in hemp (Cannabis sativa var.), it needs control in hemp-derived beverages and medicinal products.

In the U.S.,  the THC limit on such therapeutic and feel good products is 0.3%. Any product with above this cap passes as marijuana, according to regulators.

Each state however can amend that limit its own way, with some states opting for the lowest possible. 

Enter Farmers

It is obvious that Honolulu’s THC limit is multiple times below the federal one, a thing that hemp farmers rue.

As early as January 2024, farmers were against regulation concerning strict licensing to produce goodies from their hemp crop. 

Growers’ backers say that meeting this new maximum cap needs expensive machinery at risk of slashing the novelty of hemp goodies. 

They cite that this could also impact the anti-inflammatory benefits of a compound known as cannabidiol (CBD). Unlike, THC, CBD does not intoxicate but rather serves as a tonic against stress, lack of sleep and pain.

There are 52,000 other uses of hemp at stake, such as as food, paper production and plant fiber for livestock feed. 

It all boils down to a strict stance by the island state against marijuana-related products. Hawaii is one of half the states of the United States that have not yet legalized the intoxicating plant.

Be it as it may, hemp remains a lucrative crop on the Pacific island despite having just 57 registered farmers (2020). The following statistics illustrate the larger production and economic picture of hemp by this small farmer population vis-á-vis the U.S.

Hawaii Hemp Statistics

Hemp refers to a non-addictive food and fiber plant in the Cannabis sativa family. Hemp production takes place throughout the United States but Hawaii is the exception for its climate is sequestered from the rest. In 2020, the Aloha State had 470 acres under the crop operated by 57 farmers, per the Hemp Industries Association (HIA).

How high is Hawaii’s hemp production versus other states? 

Hawaii is a low hemp producer with negligible output at 10,002 pounds for the floral variety, in 2022. This according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).  In comparison,  top producer Kentucky harvested 2.6 million pounds in of 2022. 

Is hemp an economically important crop in Aloha State? 

According to NASS, industrial hemp brought Hawaii at least $25,680 in sales revenue in 2022. This makes the fiber highly valuable despite growing in only a few hundreds of acres. 

What are some few facts on hemp production in the entire United States?

In 2022, the U.S. boasted 28,300 hemp acres, 18,300 of which undergoing harvest, equal to below 0.1% of all national crop acreage. In 2022, most hemp area (6,850 acres) went into fiber production while an almost equal margin (5,379 acres) fell into grain production. The rest made floral or seed hemp.