For centuries, industrial hemp (plant species Cannabis sativa) has been a source of fiber and oilseed used worldwide to produce a variety of industrial and consumer products. Hemp production has been legalized in North Carolina, but only as part of the state's pilot program as allowed under federal law.
Emily Febles has been hired to serve as the North Carolina Industrial Hemp Program Coordinator. Emily obtained her undergraduate degrees from the University of Florida and her law degree from the University of Iowa. She worked as an agricultural extension Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala. She minored in agriculture and has participated in continuing agricultural education programs in the Midwest, Cuba and Ecuador.
Emily comes to NC State from Washington State where she worked as the Industrial Hemp Pilot Program coordinator for the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Ms. Febles is considered a national leader in industrial hemp policy and will work closely with the Industrial Hemp Commission, NC State University and the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to implement the industrial hemp pilot research program in North Carolina.