Mississippi farmers, or those interested in becoming farmers, can now apply for a hemp grower license. The license application period began Saturday and runs through Oct. 31 through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Hemp is a member of the cannabis plant family used for textiles, fuels, clothing and other products. The new Mississippi law legalized the cultivation of hemp and allowed Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson to create a state plan for hemp farming. State lawmakers did not appropriate the money for a state hemp program, so Gipson said he asked the USDA to handle the licensing for Mississippi hemp growers.