HEMP HELP IS TILLED IN ILLINOIS

Supporters Of The Crop Say New Law May Help Kentucky Growers

A bill passed by the Illinois General Assembly could help open the door for
industrial hemp to be grown in this state, some lawmakers believe.

The Illinois Hemp Act ­ which would require the University of Illinois and
Southern Illinois University to study the feasibility and desirability of
industrial hemp production ­ was approved 67-47 Tuesday by the Illinois
legislature.

"That will help our cause. That's a shot in the arm." said Rep. Roger
Thomas, D-Smiths Grove.

Thomas and Joe Barrows, D-Versailles, introduced hemp legislation House
Bill 100 in Kentucky's General Assembly last week.

Unlike the Illinois bill, House Bill 100 stipulates the Council of
Postsecondary Education can select any Kentucky university with an
agriculture program to research the use of industrial hemp.

The bill also sets up a commission composed of members of the General
Assembly, law enforcement community, the president of the Kentucky Hemp
Growers Association and industrial hemp retailers to study information and
monitor development of industrial hemp production in other states. If
passed, the commission is to report its findings to the General Assembly on
Dec. 15.

"We currently have folks marketing industrial hemp products in Kentucky,"
Thomas said. "We're basically doing everything except processing and
growing industrial hemp."

North Dakota and Hawaii are already growing hemp for research, Thomas said.

House Bill 100 should be voted on five to 10 days after the General
Assembly reconvenes Feb. 6, according to Barrows.

"Any time another state passes legislation that has anything to do with the
industrial hemp issue, in a positive way, helps us say, 'Look, we're not
out here by ourselves,' " he said. "This is not something wild and crazy.
This is getting legitimate debate and consideration in other areas of the
country."

Kentucky farmers should have the option to grow industrial hemp, Barrows said.

"At the time people started growing soybeans there was only one or two uses
for soybeans," he said. "Once people got in really good research about all
the available use for soybeans, they found thousands of uses for soybeans.
I don't think we've scratched the surface for the use of hemp fiber and
hemp oils.

"No one thing is going to be a magic cure for Kentucky farmers, but given
the status of tobacco, this is another option."

Barrows said it is encouraging the Illinois legislation passed with a
Republican majority.

"This is important because it shows this is not a liberal or conservative
issue," he said. "This is a farm issue and an agriculture issue."

Even if House Bill 100 passes, Kentucky will still have several hurdles to
jump before Kentucky farmers will have the option to grow industrial hemp,
Thomas said.

"The Drug Enforcement Agency will have to soften (its) stance on it before
we can allow our farmers to grow it," he said.