The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture program has granted Colorado State University Pueblo $275,000 to develop its Industrial Hemp Education, Agriculture and Research (InHEAR) program, according to The Pueblo Chieftain.
CSU Pueblo started offering a Bachelor of Science in Cannabis Biology and Chemistry degree this fall, and the grant will allow the school to expand this degree to include hemp agriculture beginning in the fall of 2021, according to the news outlet.
The InHEAR program will also complement CSU Pueblo’s Institute of Cannabis Research, which was created earlier this year and will provide opportunities for hands-on learning.
School officials told The Pueblo Chieftain that the program will support the future careers of students, as well as the economic development within Pueblo and the rest of the state, as industrial hemp agriculture continues to expand after the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill.