HEMP STUDY ADVANCES

SPRINGFIELD -- A plan to study the possible use of hemp as a cash crop in
Illinois is headed back to Gov. George Ryan, who vetoed similar legislation
earlier this year

Supporters said the new version of the bill addresses some of the
governor's worries, which focused on concern that the legislation was
nothing more than an attempt to legalize marijuana.

Opponents, including the Illinois Drug Education Alliance, were unable to
stop the legislation, which was approved in the Senate on a 38-16 vote
Thursday.

"The stakes are too high on this," argued state Sen. Peter Roskam, a
Naperville Republican who voted "no."

Federal law bars production of hemp, which was grown in Illinois during
World War II. It is legal to purchase items made from hemp fiber.
The proposed study, which would take place at the University of Illinois,
would need to be sanctioned by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

The measure is House Bill 3377.