Harrelson wins hemp legalization battle

IRVINE, Ky. (AP) It was an early holiday for Woody Harrelson in his
court battle to legalize industrial hemp in Kentucky.

"I'd like to think of today as Independence Day for Kentucky farmers," a
beaming Harrelson said Thursday from the steps of the Estill County
courthouse.

Lee Circuit Judge William Trude upheld a district court ruling in January
that declared Kentucky's marijuana statute unconstitutionally broad. The
decision said there was no basis for Kentucky to treat industrial hemp the
same as marijuana, its psychoactive cousin.

Prosecutor Tom Jones said the case would likely be appealed.

The actor, who was nominated for an Academy Award for "The People vs. Larry
Flynt," planted four industrial hemp seeds in Lee County in 1996,
challenging the state's marijuana law. He touts hemp as a wonder product,
with seeds and fibers that can be used in everything from fuel and clothing
to paper and food.

Harrelson was charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana and faced up
to a year in jail and a $500 fine if convicted.