Firm to Open New Hemp Processing Plant in South Carolina

A Boston-based maker of CBD products, Tucker Naturals LLC, plans to open a new hemp processing plant and extraction facility in Lake City, SC, the company announced in a press release Monday.

“Lake City, which was the main hub of the South Carolina tobacco industry, is an ideal location for Tucker to locate this facility. I believe Tucker Naturals will be a great asset for our state. We have also been contacted by several other industry-related and research companies interested in locating in our commerce park, which could prove to have an enormous economic impact on Lake City, Florence County, and the entire Pee Dee region,” said William C. Morris, president of Caropar Investments, a partner in the project, in a statement.

Enabled by a recently-passed South Carolina House bill legalizing hemp cultivation for research purposes in the state and the 2014 Federal Farm Bill, the state can now issue permits to grow hemp – a form of cannabis – to up to 20 area farmers.

Tuckers Naturals LLC said it will operate the plant in conjunction with ProVerde Laboratories Inc., a provider of potency and safety testing for hemp and CBD products, and Caropar Investments LLC. Staff at the site will consult local farmers at the facility and carry out processing, extraction, and manufacturing activities.

“Having ProVerde Labs locate here in South Carolina also provides a tremendous scientific resource for our farmers as we work to create this new industry in our state,” said Morris.

The release did not detail when the plant would open or how much the parties were investing in the project.