ILLINOIS' RYAN CONSIDERS BILL TO STUDY HEMP

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - For the second time in four months, lawmakers have
sent Gov. George Ryan a bill allowing a study of whether industrial
hemp could make money for Illinois farmers.

The state Senate passed a bill 38-16 Thursday that, according to its
sponsor, addresses the concerns Ryan outlined when he vetoed the last
bill in February.

It lets the University of Illinois conduct a study of hemp, a relative
of marijuana, and whether it would be viable as a cash crop. Often
used in manufacturing before World War II, hemp can be used to make
clothing, paper, food, and oil for cooking and paint.

The new version answers the reasons Ryan gave for vetoing the last
one, said Sen. Evelyn Bowles, D-Edwardsville, the bill's sponsor.

It dictates that the research should try to find a way to grow hemp
that has no THC, the mind-altering chemical in marijuana. It includes
Western Illinois University to research hemp production's effect on
law enforcement and commits no state money to the study.