China has been growing industrial hemp for thousands of years, though it was banned during the years 1985 to 2010. Today, they are the biggest hemp producer in the entire world, responsible for producing half of the globe’s supply.
Reports state that hemp fiber sales in China resulted in $1.2 billion in 2018 alone, while other sources state that China makes up 11% of the global CBD market’s $800 million, running third after Europe and the United States. The irony is that their rules are stricter than the United States; in fact, they have only started to allow hemp as an ingredient in cosmetics.