The N.C. Industrial Hemp Commission will hold its first meeting Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 2 p.m. in the Martin Building at the State Fairgrounds. The meeting is open to the public.

The state General Assembly passed legislation in 2015 to create a pilot program to research hemp production in North Carolina as allowed under federal law. The Industrial Hemp Commission will be responsible for setting up the rules and process for applying for the pilot program.

The commission has nine members representing agricultural research, law enforcement, farming, agricultural consulting, agribusiness and the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

More information about the industrial hemp pilot program is available at www.ncagr.gov/hemp.