ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Two more colleges have been authorized to participate in New York's industrial hemp pilot program.

The program allows farmers to partner with universities to grow and research hemp as an agricultural commodity. The program was launched last year and the first crop was harvested last fall.

Industrial hemp is a variety of cannabis without the psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana. It's used in a wide range of products from clothing to food supplements.

Binghamton University and SUNY Sullivan have been authorized to participate in the state's hemp program. Both are interested in the medicinal properties of cannabidiol (kanna-buh-DYE-ahl), a chemical component of the hemp plant.

Cornell University and Morrisville State started participating in the hemp research program last summer.

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