Illinois House Approves Bill to Allow Universities to Research Hemp
SPRINGFIELD, IL — House lawmakers have voted 70-28 in favor of House Bill 5085, legislation that would allow state universities to cultivate industrial hemp for research purposes.
The House approved the measure earlier this month, and the bill has been assigned to the Senate Agriculture and Conservation Committee. You can read the full text of the measure here.
The United States is the only developed nation that fails to commercially cultivate industrial hemp as an economic crop, according to the Congressional Resource Service.
Hemp is a distinct variety of the plant species cannabis sativa that contains only minute (less than 1%) amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
Farmers worldwide grow hemp commercially for fiber, seed, and oil for use in a variety of industrial and consumer products, including food and clothing. The CRS further states, “[T]he US market for hemp-based products has a highly dedicated and growing demand base.”
The American Farm Bureau endorsed ending the federal prohibition on industrial hemp at its annual meeting in January.
Congress recently approved an amendment in the Farm Act allowing for states that have reclassified hemp as an agricultural product to engage in pilot projects involving the plant’s cultivation free from federal interference.
This reform is especially applicable to Illinois, which often ranks among the top US states in farming production and farm real estate.
A legal, regulated hemp industry would provide Illinois farmers with an alternative, economically viable crop.
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Illinois House Approves Bill to Allow Universities to Research Hemp
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