The hemp boom in 2013 created a frenzy among Coloradans who thought they were going to strike it rich on the crop. Finn Murphy, Longmont author of “Rocky Mountain High,” was one of them.
In 2013, Murphy had a small farm about 7 miles to the west of Longmont. He had just finished his first book “The Long Haul” and was looking for a new adventure.
In 2012, Colorado voters passed Amendment 64 allowing the cultivation, processing and sale of hemp. The following legislation led to a hemp boom where farmers scrambled to register their land with the Colorado Department of Agriculture in order to cash in on the crop.
Around 1,000 acres were dedicated to the crop in 2014 but that number increased to 30,000 in 2018 and reached a peak in 2019 at 85,000. Today, only five out of 22 farmers registered in 2019 are still registered.
“You may remember in 2019, 2020 and 2021 there was a wafting smell of hemp throughout Boulder County,” Murphy said. “Everybody was piling into hemp.”
Excited by the economic possibilities of hemp and aided by encouragement from the Colorado Department of Agriculture, Murphy and many others jumped into the business.
In less than two years, many who thought this plan would lead them to riches found themselves completely out of business.
In his book “Rocky Mountain High,” Murphy lends a bit of humor to his experience in the hemp industry.
“Everybody piled in — like me — without doing due diligence — like me — and then paid the ultimate price — like me — and sort of ended up on shore gasping for breath,” Murphy said.
Murphy will begin a book tour on Thursday at the Boulder Bookstore, 1107 Pearl St, at 6:30 p.m. where he will discuss his book further with KGNU’s Radio Book Club host Maeve Conran.
On Saturday, Murphy will sign books at the Barnes and Noble at 2999 Peart St. in Boulder at 1 p.m.
“It’s about what happens when a serial business person starts a business and it doesn’t go well,” Murphy said. “But there are a lot of funny situations and a lot of great characters in the book.”
