GOVERNOR SHOULD NOT BUY INTO JUNK SCIENCE ON HEMP

Dear Editor,

I want to commend the SJ-R for its timely and educational editorial on Jan.
12 on the hemp issue considered in the legislature and now by Gov. Ryan. I
find it totally irresponsible that the Illinois Drug Education Alliance and
the Illinois State Police are promulgating "junk science" concerning this
issue. By doing so, they destroy their own credibility, especially with
our young people, who may well decide to question their information on real
drug issues.

I want to point out that a pro-hemp resolution was adopted by the National
Conference of State Legislatures at its winter meeting in Washington,
D.C. To quote from part of this resolution: "NCSL also strongly urges
Congress statutorily to direct the DEA to revise its policies to be less
restrictive and allow the states to establish state regulatory programs,
thus fostering the development of domestice hemp production by American
farmers and manufacturers."

Certainly no one can accuse the NCSL of being a bunch of potheads. I urge
Gov. Ryan not to veto this bill but to provide funding for the academic
institutions to research hamp as a potential crop for Illinois. The
governor knows better than to lend any credibility to this hemp hysteria
and junk science.

Alexander J. Casella

Springfield