Hemp, Hemp, Hooray: The Impact of a Hemp Educational Campaign on College Students' Attitudes and Knowledge on Industrial Hemp

Abstract

Through the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp became a federally legal crop in the United States for the first time in nearly a half century. Farmers from across the country became interested in the potential of the crop and land-grant universities and other institutions of higher education were challenged with the task of closing an expansive knowledge gap through research and outreach. Despite its federally legal status, hemp’s association with marijuana and public stigma remain. This study investigated university students’ knowledge and attitudes toward hemp before and after an educational campaign that involved hemp plants on campus. Results indicated students initially had low knowledge about hemp. A majority of students did not recognize the crop as being federally legal and were unable to distinguish major differences between hemp and marijuana. Despite low knowledge, students held fairly high attitudes toward hemp. After the educational campaign, students were significantly more knowledgeable and held more favorable attitudes toward hemp.