Ohio reviews ginseng rules as diggers and dealers increase

COLUMBUS (AP) — State officials plan to review new ginseng regulations as the number of Ohioans digging and selling the medicinal root increases.

Seventy ginseng dealers were registered in Ohio last year, up from 49 in 2013, The Columbus Dispatch reported. The state also saw an increase in ginseng diggers last year, nearly doubling from about 4,600 in 2013 to more than 8,900 in 2014.

As the state’s ginseng trade picks up, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is asking those who harvest, buy and sell the plant to weigh in on possible regulation changes at a public meeting next month.

Ohio ranks about sixth among 19 states that grow the plant. Wild ginseng can be found throughout Ohio, but is especially prevalent in the Appalachian region.

The dried root — worth as much as $800 a pound — is said to be valuable for its medicinal benefits. It’s in especially high demand from eastern Asian markets, where some have used the plant for thousands of years.

In Ohio, it is illegal to dig ginseng outside of its designated harvest season, which runs from September through December.