HEMP'S BENEFITS OUTLINED

A North Dakota State University study says industrial hemp has potential as
an alternative crop in the state and recommends that the crop be grown for
experimental production and processing.

The study, led by David Kraenzel of the NDSU agriculture economics
department, was presented to the Legislative Interim Commerce and
Agriculture Committee Thursday afternoon at the Capitol.

"There's real potential for this as a rotation crop with North Dakota
crops," Kraenzel told the committee via telephone.

NDSU did the study at the request of the state Legislature. The objective
was to assess the economic feasibility and desirability of industrial hemp
production in North Dakota.

Since the crop has been illegal to grow in the United States since 1937,
very little information is available on its production. But the NDSU
report, as well as comments by the committee members, were positive and
supportive of growing the crop on an experimental basis.

"In a year we will have better data from Canada and that will give us the
best bench mark figures," said Tim Petry of NDSU. Canada legalized
industrial hemp last year.

Industrial hemp has more than 25,000 uses from cardboard, construction
products, cosmetics, fabrics and foods to inks, paper and plastics.

Nick Boutrous of Bismarck, whose brothers own a company in San Francisco
that sells products such as clothing and cosmetics made of industrial hemp,
told the committee that North Dakota needs to take the lead role. If enough
pressure is placed at the federal level, he said, then Congress and
President Clinton would have to look at legalizing the growing of
industrial hemp.

Another concern is law enforcement's feelings about the crop. Because the
plant resembles cannabis, or the hemp that is smoked to get high, law
enforcement officials are worried that cannabis plants would be grown with
hemp plants.

Industrial hemp contains less than 1 percent of the chemical that causes
the high, making it worthless as a drug, but marijuana contains 10 to 20
percent.

"How do you regulate it? Someone could put a patch of say 100 plants of
regular marijuana in a farmer's field and we couldn't tell the difference,"
Jerry Kemmet, chief agent of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation's
narcotics division in Bismarck, said in a March interview. "They put me in
the position where I have to arrest the farmer and the federal government
can come in and seize the land."

Aside from law enforcement issues, which will better be understood now that
Canada has grown the crop for a year, the NDSU study looked at the
positives industrial hemp could create in the state.

The crop would perform best in the eastern one third of the state, or under
irrigated conditions and the produce could be used as an oil seed, as a raw
product or to create certified seed.

The biggest cost for growing the crop today is lack of seed. It would have
to be imported. Profitability, however, could be as high as $141 an acre,
based on the study.

The study also found that the crop naturally controlled Canadian thistle as
well as other weeds.

Kraenzel also asked during the meeting if he can release the report to the
public.

"Growers and processors have been champing at the bit to get their hands on
the report," he said. (END)

Checked-by: Pat Dolan