In June of 1997, the University of Kentucky published a study (Industrial Hemp: Global Markets and Prices) which concluded, "If industrial hemp production was permitted in the US, it is reasonable to assume that production would be relatively low in early years. Commodity prices can be more volatile in thin (low volume) markets, creating more market risk than U.S. farmers might be willing to bear.
It included that contract production would alleviate some of that risk. Any price, thus profit projections, for industrial hemp production must take into account the effect of changes in both production and demand on world price."
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Sources
http://www.votehemp.com/PDF/hemp97.pdf