LINCOLN — Hemp may grow wild across Nebraska, but if you want to make clothing or other products out of the industrial cousin of marijuana, you’ll have to buy it cultivated from Canada.

John Lupien of Omaha, a founding partner in a hemp processing company called BastCore, said Tuesday he would prefer to buy industrial hemp from Nebraska farmers.

The market, while still developing in the United States, does exist, he added. “Well, that brings us to the problem, we can’t grow here in Nebraska,” said Lupien, whose startup near Plattsmouth will soon process hemp fibers for outdoor clothing giant Patagonia, along with another hemp product that will be sold to oil and gas drillers.

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Joe Duggan ~ Omaha.com ~