Applications to grow hemp in the state of Minnesota have increased steeply since the start of 2019, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

Congress passed the 2018 farm bill in December, which legalized industrial hemp as a crop plant that can help produce commodities like fiber, grain or oil.

Hemp is described as a cousin of marijuana, with much lower levels of THC — the chemical that produces a high.

CBD oil is extracted from hemp and is sometimes marketed to help with problems like chronic pain and anxiety.

CBD oils and CBD massages are some of the products available at Stigma Hemp, which opened Thursday in the hip and vibrant North Loop neighborhood in Minneapolis.

Store owner Josh Maslowski acknowledges people are buying CBD products from a number of sources, but his shop offers an alternative.

“The timing of it had certainly something to do with the farm bill,” Maslowski said. “But the idea of a retail store was always something I wanted to do because I believe that in this space people have a lot of questions and they want to be able to look somebody in the eye versus just buying it online where you don’t trust exactly who’s making it.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey attended the store opening with the goal of encouraging the conversation around legalizing recreational marijuana use in the state.