Does Kentucky really grow more marijuana than any other state?

From decades-old news articles to political talking points to social media comment sections, conversations about marijuana in Kentucky bring an oft-repeated claim.

Kentucky produces more cannabis than any other state, the claim goes, making the illegal drug the Bluegrass State’s top cash crop.

On paper, corn and soybean are Kentucky’s top cash crops, bringing in a combined $2.7 billion in 2021. But could marijuana actually be number one? It’s impossible to say, experts say.

“We have no way of knowing how much cannabis grows undetected,” said Kevin McWilliams, a local spokesperson for the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Bonnie Rabin, an adjunct professor with the Cannabis Certificate Program at the University of Cincinnati, said the claim “puzzles” her. Kentucky doesn’t allow marijuana cultivation, processing or retail, she said, so how could cannabis be the top cash crop?

“Perhaps in the future?” she wrote in an email. “Or do they actually mean hemp?”

Hemp and cannabis are different. The former is legal to grow in Kentucky with a license.

One of the few data points on Kentucky’s cannabis market comes heavily asterisked. Each year, the DEA publishes numbers of how many cannabis grow sites and plants it found and eradicated in each state.

[Read more at Louisville Courier Journal]