Oregon State University – Cascades’ Science Pub series continues on Jan. 16 with “The Roller Coaster of Hemp in Oregon,” a talk on the history of the hemp industry in Oregon from its legalization in 2018 to today.
Presenter Gordon Jones is an agronomist with the OSU Extension Service. Based in Central Oregon, he serves Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties, as well as the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
Jones will explore how shifting regulations, farming challenges and an untested market, as well as nefarious actors, caused the hemp industry to grow exponentially and decline just as quickly. He spent six years working in the Rogue Valley, considered the epicenter of Oregon’s hemp production industry.
He will discuss uses for hemp and challenges producing and marketing hemp and hemp products.
He will also share some of the research underway within OSU’s Global Hemp Innovation Center and other research efforts that can help create a path to a more stable future for the hemp industry in the Pacific Northwest.
Jones is an associate professor in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences. He conducts research, teaches classes through OSU Extension, and provides technical assistance around pasture, forage, small grain management, soil fertility and drought resilience.
The Science Pub will take place from 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. in the Charles McGrath Family Atrium in Edward J. Ray Hall at OSU-Cascades. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for networking and dining with the presentation to follow at 6 p.m.
Registration is required and on-campus parking is free. The event is $22 per person, which includes a light, pub-style, pre-lecture dinner by OSU-Cascades’ Edge Catering. The no-host bar will offer beer, wine, cider and soft drinks.
To register, visit OSUcascades.edu/event-registration. Space is limited to 100 attendees.
For accommodations for disabilities contact 541-322-3100 or events@osucascades.edu.
