HEMP TAKES ROOT IN SENATE COMMITTEE

ST. PAUL - A new farm crop, industrial hemp, took root in the Senate
Agriculture and Rural Development Committee Thursday.

The committee voted unanimously to legalize hemp production, even though
the crop is closely related to marijuana.

Law enforcement officials oppose the change. They maintain that widespread
hemp production would make it more difficult to enforce the laws against
using and possessing marijuana, since the two plants have a similar
appearance.

The bill's author - Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe, DFL-Erskine -
suggested that the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was being too cautious.
He said enough safeguards can be incorporated into the law to protect
against "shenanigans with illegal drugs."

Hemp not a new crop in the U.S. It was grown here before World War II.

The crop fell out of favor after the war and only recently has been
rediscovered.

Canada harvested its first hemp crop in 60 years last year. Hemp fields
there are tested three times a season to ensure that the hallucinogenic
qualities of the crop are low enough.

Moe said an estimated 29 countries are growing hemp.

"It is an unbelievable product that has a lot of byproducts," he said.

Hemp is used in the production of cosmetics, clothing, shoes, paper, and car.

"As we know, agriculture is changing," Moe said. "Markets are changing and
consumer tastes are changing."

Sam Baxter, whose store at the Mall of America in Bloomington specializes
in hemp-based clothing, said the product line has become very popular.

When he opened his store, he said, his line of clothing attracted mainly
young people looking for something unusual. Today, his clientele also
includes a lot of older people, he said.

In one year, he said, his sales have increased 100 percent. His Christmas
sales are up 35 percent.

"We need an alternative crop," Baxter said. "When Canada can make it
profitable, we know we can do it here."

Moe said hemp production is not a panacea for the farm crisis. It is an
option for farmers, he said.

"But when you look at the rural economy, you have to look at a lot of
different options," Moe said.

It is not the first time the committee voted for legalizing hemp production.

Moe introduced an identical bill last year. The legislation was approved by
both the House and Senate, but was vetoed by former Gov. Arne Carlson.

Sen. Dallas Sams, DFL-Staples, chairman of the agriculture committee, said
the legislation has been endorsed by the Farm Bureau, Farmers Union and a
host of other farm organizations.

The bill was forwarded to the Senate floor for a vote. A similar bill is
moving through the House.