MINNESOTA'S HEMP PLANS TAKE A FEW STEPS FORWARD

Minnesota's efforts to allow farmers to grow industrial hemp are moving
forward in a development that some say could give growers a viable
alternative crop.

Hemp is a close relative of marijuana. Gov. Jesse Ventura is expected to
contact federal drug authorities this week outlining his plan for
implementing pro-hemp state legislation enacted last spring.

Ventura's plan calls for cooperation from the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration, which has strongly opposed legalizing hemp production.

Meanwhile, fierce debate continues over whether hemp offers enough
commercial potential to justify the costly security controls likely to be
imposed on its cultivation.

Controls would be necessary because DEA officials and hemp enthusiasts
agree on one thing: Food- and fiber-producing hemp and smokable marijuana
are nearly indistinguishable varieties of the same Cannabis plant,
differing only in their content of the psychoactive ingredient
tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

Ventura's letter is expected to propose that farmers apply for permits
through the state Board of Pharmacy and the DEA. Rules for commercial hemp
cultivation would be set by the DEA.

"The policy has not been changed," Tim McCormick, head of the DEA's
Minneapolis office, said Wednesday. "But we are seriously looking at it
right now. The decision will be coming out of Washington." The decision
could come in less than a year, he said.

The government's review has been accelerated by growing interest in hemp
production. Pro-hemp laws were enacted this year in Minnesota, Hawaii,
Nebraska and North Dakota.

Hemp seeds produce an oil that can be used to make tofu, butter, cheese,
salad oils and other foods. Hemp fiber can be used to make clothing, ropes,
paper, particle-board products and more.