An Illinois House committee has passed a measure that would allow farmers to grow industrial hemp for commercial purposes, such as to make rope, clothing and other accessories. […]
House Bill 1383 says farmers wishing to grow, produce, or sell industrial hemp or related projects must be licensed on a yearly basis through the Department of Agriculture. State Rep. Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) was one of two representatives to vote no on the measure. Her Western Illinois district is mostly farmland, most of which she says is already spoken for. […]
The Illinois Farm Bureau is on record as supporting the measure, but other agencies such as the Illinois State Police have not weighed in. Hammond says the only way she’d support the measure is if the state police back it.
* The Question: Should the growing of industrial hemp - which is bred in a way that minimizes THC content - be legalized in Illinois?
Take the poll and then, please, explain your answer in comments. I’ve noticed we’ve been getting fewer comments when I run these polls, so I’m not sure I will continue posting these things if that trend continues…
It supports a number of the State green initiatives by providing a source for materials that are green and renewable which can be used to make ropes, clothing etc. We have enough nylon and plastic ropes which are nn-bio degradeable.
There’s no reason it should be illegal. I’m not sure about the specifics but I think hemp is preferable to alternatives for at least a few uses, and can also be used in food as it’s very nutritious.
Yes, for the reasons Ghost states, plus it diversifies our agricultural/renewable resources that much more.
Someone might remind Rep. Hammond that just because all the farmland in her district is “spoken for” now, that doesn’t negate the probability that someone in her district would grow industrial hemp if it’s legal to do so and there is a legal market for it.
Yes but only if they breed it to maximize the THC content.
- Larry Mullholland - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:24 pm:
Absolute Support. Its uses are endless. Oil!, fabric the list is huge.
It is a great rotational crop. Far less weed control chemicals will be utilized on fields due proximity of plants to Because the canopy cover and tight planting weed killers may not be needed. The THC is so low you could not get high if you wanted too. It grows naturally in many area of Illinois now.
ISP and other Law enforcement were vocal opposition when this legislation came up I think 01-02.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:25 pm:
I also agree that it should be legalized. This would bring more money into state coffers and improve our economy.
Yes it should be legal to grown hemp for industrial purpose. Thought I suspect that some people great over estimate the economic impact of doing so or how competitive it is going to be certain area with other products.
I see nothing wrong with it. Anyone trying to use industrial hemp for recreational purposes will discover it doesn’t do anything for him. It has a lot of uses and gives farmers one more crop choice. Sounds good to me.
- Just Observing - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:37 pm:
As far as I understand, the THC is not just minimal, it is to the point where it is impossible to get high off it. Any attempts to continue to criminalize this valid plant for industrial purposes is completley innane. Rep. Hammond (and whoever else voted against this) is a dummy. In fact, it is scary brainless people like her sit in the legislature.
This should be a no-brainer, yes, it should be legal. It’s good for the environment and could become profitable as more businesses and consumers are going green.
Absolutely. There is no reason not to legalize industrial hemp; it has many legit uses and is sustainable. It was once grown in the Kankakee area, I’ve been told it grows well in the soil in that county. It could be a great new “green” product for the area.
- Way Way Down Here - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:45 pm:
Hammond seems to understand little of agriculture. Monocropping in her district is a freakish way to grow and causes all kinds of expensive problems. Adding hemp to the rotation will be good for corn prices, soybeans as well. And it will help revitalize the soil with fewer fertilizers and pesticides. Growing hemp would actually be an *anti-drug* policy, because it doesn’t require the anhydrous ammonia tanks of corn fertilizer that the meth-heads are always raiding as raw material to make meth with. So you’re reducing the manufacturing ability of rural meth makers. It will create markets and jobs and thus bring in tax revenue for things like the oil and fiber these plants produce. You can burn them for energy as well. And it’s not like the law would order any farmer to produce this. Those operations that want to grow it can be monitored and regulated by the ag department. The growers can pay for whatever testing and monitoring their crop requires for compliance, so it is not much of a burden to the ag department.
The cops, particularly ISP, have always been huge opponents, with the same old arguments that non-drug hemp will be used as cover for pot operations. This is silly and unlikely. But the cops keep coming out hard against it, then the legislators chicken out because they don’t want to make it an election issue for their opponents.
What this is going to take to pass is for Quinn to order ISP to back off on the issue. If he doesn’t leash ISP’s knee-jerk response to hemp, the cycle of fear and ignorance over common sense will repeat yet again.
The more appropriate question is why the growing of an industrial product that posses minimal public safety risk needs to be made legal in Illinois? The bill corrects a law that is antiquated and has outlived its purpose.
yes. Illinois has a long history of growing hemp. LaSalle County had farms prior to WW2 that were dedicated solely to growing it to be used to make rope for the navy.
Should be made legal. But from what (admittedly little) I know about this industrial crop I doubt it will be profitable or desirable for Illinois farmers to grow much of at this time, considering the current high prices they can get for the main commodity crops of corn and soybeans. Also, prime cropland values are sky high and there is very little acreage that comes on the market. I suspect this is what Hammond was getting at even though her statement was not very clear.
But the time may come when the other commodities are less in world demand, or factors could temporarily change (a blight or new bug). So having the ability to legally grow hemp as an alternative crop is good for farmers and landowners.
- South Side Mike - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:15 pm:
Yes. I am a huge opponent of marijuana (when I lived on Kimball in Chicago, just walking past the stairs of one brownstone that had heavy pot users was enough to give me a migraine), but there is an obvious difference between industrial hemp and weed in terms of usage.
My only hesitation is in the phyisical differences of the plants. Do the high-THC drug plants look identical to the industrial plants, or do the industrial ones have distinguishing marks- ie taller/shorter or thicker stemmed/thinner-stemmed? If there is no physical difference in appearance, my only question would be how could the limitation of growing industrial hemp be practically enforced.
C’mon! When did any of us actually see a hemp rope in the hardware store? I am pres/treas of a family farm on Illinois/Indiana border near Danville and I think the idea is whoee. Will anyone support me if I grow cocooa plant to make Coke a cola?
I think it is a bad idea. Hey GA, how about working to reduce the deficit?
If their is no market for hemp products, or at least not a large profitable one, then it wont matter if it is legal or not because no one will grow it. Legalize it and let the market the decide.
OK Rich….I meant don’t we have more pressing issues to fix than hemp legalization, like our debt?
Tax revenue? Not for me, reductions more interesting!
Maybe. But to expect them to focus 100 percent of their attention on what you want them to is unreasonable and kinda goofy. Stick to the question, please.
ISP’s position shouldn’t be controlling - they opposed videotaping interrogations in capital cases remember
wonder if the farmers will wind up asserting they need subsidies in order to actually reap the crop
- 3rd Generation Chicago Native - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:40 pm:
Yes. Another crop to give farmers diversity, and keep their income up. If this crop grows fast and will help offset years where we don’t have enough rain or too much that would help with some income for farmers. I am no farmer but, maybe this is a hardy plant?
I’m all for it, but you have to wonder about the intricacies of lobbying for the industry. Will local governments want to hire their own lobbyists to seek increases in the local take of hemp revenues? Or, will they start arguing for regional THC content levels (local control, you know), 3% for Makanda and Grand Tower, for instance, and the standard .5% for Naperville, Wheaton and Elgin (takes a much clearer mind to make it up there).
This should be a no-brainer, but will most likely NOT happen if law enforcement wrings its hands–again.
Absolutely. We must diversify the corn/soybean industrial complex. We have an agricultural industry that is a vicious cycle of, for example, growing corn to produce products, like ethanol, that are developed in order to use up the corn cuz there’s too much corn even though other products (like W’s switchgrass) that would be better sources. So we plant more corn, etc., etc….
OK…For those who are farmers…we know that when we choose a crop, we also have to have a market to whom to sell. Cargill and ADM have elevators to which we ship our goods. Where does one ship hemp? If this would create jobs in Illinois by establishing a outlet for goods grown, OK, I might change my vote. However, it is the market that determines the need for product, not the availability of raw materials.
- RetiredStateEmployee - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 2:02 pm:
The leading world exporter for hemp is China. The leading world importer is the United States. It can be used for so many products (other than hemp rope!). It can also be used as a food product. Let’s loose the “Refer Madness” mentality of the past and get educated.
OF course it should be legal. Gives farmers an additional crop to put into rotation, reducing pesticide usage, thus reducing damage to soil, watershed, etc.
- Springfield Skeptic - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 2:17 pm:
Yes. Anything that will provide a cash crop for our ag community is a no brainer.
LisleMike, you could ship it to Canada for processing. Or China. We ship plenty of raw materials overseas right now. Eventually, we could process it here. You’re an opponent. Stick with that. You’ve had your say.
No matter your thought on this passing in IL, something to keep in mind:
“Eight states have approved hemp farming: North Dakota, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, West Virginia and Vermont. However, the Drug Enforcement Agency has so far refused to weigh in on whether hemp farmers would be prosecuted for growing the plant, which is the same species as marijuana but lacks the chemical composition to intoxicate users.
In North Dakota, farmer and Republican state Rep. David Monson has filed suit against the federal government for not clarifying the rules about hemp production. His state has been granting hemp production licenses for several years and many farmers have been ” -from the Minnesota Independent
Anybody who has ever smoked hemp knows it’s worthless as an intoxicant. However, Tarzan of the Jungle says it’s the monkeys’ hoot for swinging!
I don’t know how much $ this would bring into the state coffers via taxes but there is little danger of John and Judy teenager smoking it what with much more powerful weed available.
Politically and philosophically, I really don’t care one way or the other. Practically, though, the question is why bother? Hemp will not make one bit of difference to agriculture production in Illinois. There are very significant historical and economic reasons why we grow the crops we do. Two of the most important are logistical. One, there are over a thousand grain dealers licensed in the state of Illinois. Corn and soybeans can be delivered to almost any county elevator for sale. Most will take other small grains like wheat, oats and grain sorghum. Many of these elevators are still on freight rail lines that were built in the mid-1800’s that allows these interior country elevators to aggregate and sell to larger terminal markets. That will not be true for hemp, as it is also not true of specialty crops and fruits and vegetables. Also, exchanges (CBOT, CBOE, KC, MN) allow the opportunity for risk management that is crucial for production agriculture. Uniform standards and grading of commodity crops is central to that risk management function. Also part of that price discovery is a level of transparency that will not exist in a, as yet unknown, hemp market. Hemp will not be grown by traditional farmers but will end up being contract grown for individual processors or manufacturers in much the same vertically integrated structure that broiler chickens have been for the last forty years. Agronomically, hemp requires much the same soil fertility as corn. More importantly, it is also highly susceptible to the European corn borer which can be found all over Illinois. Corn varieties that have had resistance bred into them do not require chemical application to fight this pest, but older varieties of hemp will most probably need to have applications of pesticides in order to survive. Farmers have a vast array of options to rotate crops, and still very few actually do. In most cases it is economically disadvantageous for farmers to rotate crops, particularly going from row crops like corn, soybeans or small grains into what is essentially harvested like a forage crop. The equipment outlay alone will prevent hemp from wide adoption.
I really am making no value judgments about it, but it just seems like an old-fashioned boondoggle that gives some of us something interesting to talk about (perhaps myself most of all[/snark]).
Voted yes because of the clear economic benefits for IL Farmers / Manuafacturers / Exporters.
The anhydrous ammonia used for fertilizer is more dangerous than the hemp crop would ever be, so why get hung up on the hemp issues?
Yes. It is a crop and it can make money. Farmers should get to grow it.
Not part of the question, but I’m in favor of legalizing marijuana and taxing the heck out of it. Maybe Illinois could pay some bills and lower the prison population. Getting in between human beings and their intoxicants rarely works. Prohibition taught us that lesson.
- Jake From Elwood - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 3:20 pm:
I was told at a recent family gathering by two of the great uncles that our family grew hemp in central Illinois during WWII. It was a staple used by the soldiers for rope, canvas bags, etc. Apparently, it also grew between corn stalks in the family farm for as long as ten years just because it proved to be a rather sturdy seed.
With the recent revelation that I come from a proud lineage of hemp farmers, I see no reason not to legalize the production of industrial hemp.
Don’t forget you can make paper out of hemp too. Think of Weyerhauser, International, Georgia Pacific etc moving into IL. Google “hemp paper vs. tree paper” and see the potential.
Of course. As others have pointed out, we already did it decades ago with no harm. My understanding it was during WWII when access to hemp supplies was limited by the Japanese. Having tried to get high from the resulting product from a farm somewhere around Lexington, I can tell you it doesn’t work but will give people something harmless to do. No idea about the potential profitability of this crop. Maybe it would be best on marginal land. Hard to see it competing for productive acres with $7 corn and $14 soybeans. Hemp is a very good crop for making all kinds of environmentally friendly products.
- What's in a name? - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 3:50 pm:
By all means allow it. The private sector will figure out the economics but it sound like a win win for everyone.
The fact of the matter is that in many rural counties of Illinois, remnants of the industrial hemp that was contracted by the US Government still exists as ditch weed. Several Bureau and Henry County farms were hemp growers in WWII and I don’t think it was a problem then as it shouldn’t now.
Allow but regulate it. The hemp industry flourished in Illinois between 1840 and 1860 because of the strong demand for sailcloth and cordage. During World War I, hemp cultivation continued in Illinois. In 1938, the Marijuana Tax Act ended hemp production in the United States.
The most critical problem for commercial exploitation of hemp is the possible unauthorized drug use of the plant. Even though it is illegal, marijuana is at least the fourth most valuable crop in America, outranked only by corn, soybeans, and hay. THC is the world’s most popular illicit chemical, and indeed the fourth most popular recreational drug, after caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine.
US DEA guidelines allow products with a THC content of less than 0.3% to enter the US without a license. This standard has been adopted in several countries that allow industrial hemp cultivation. In practice, the illicit drug trade has access to easier methods of synthesizing THC or its analogues than by first extracting it from non-drug hemp strains.
If there is not much of a market for it in the US it is likely because not only is industrial hemp illegal, you can’t get high from it.
I’ve heard that the argument against industrial hemp is based on the inevitable confusion created for law enforcement, similar to that in the medical marijuana states.
Of course it should. I would like to buy hemp products (hemp oil for personal care products, hemp seed “nuts,” hemp “milk”) from hemp that’s been produced in Illinois instead of Canada.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of acres of the stuff growing wild along old railroad rights-of-way, etc. in Illinois left over from World War I and II. Like almost every other country kid downstate, I tried smoking it 40 years ago and I can assure you it has no value for any purpose whatsoever other than making rope and feeding the local birds. So why all of the fuss? Hemp is a good product, preferrable to artificial fibers in many applications. Grow it!
Yes, Yes, as I’ve waxed on too long on this forum in the past.
the THC level is minute. you cannot grow marijuana with hemp because it would ruin the marijuana THC with cross poll. The uses are myriad…paper, rope, clothing, shampoo, a recently purchased bath product…all legally sold in Illinois. the plant is an amazing soil amendment, growing deep roots for natural tilling, and growing tall quickly.
but, most importantly, let’s trot out the argument du jour, or de rigure. of the conservatives…..THE FOUNDERS, THE FOUNDERS. if it was good enough for George, Thomas and Ben, it’s good enough for us.
Yes, allow it. Use some of the corn for mash and make some hooch, then smoke some industrial hemp and enjoy. The average city slicker won’t know the difference.
Legalizing hemp will make it much more difficult to identify the high-THC marijuana that is illegal. Therefore the State Police will probably not support it.
Yes. I have personally smoked it and I can tell you that it is worthless for a high. But then again, I’ve smoked rabbit tobacco, which was as non-effective.
Hemp can be used for many, many products, including ethanol, paper, clothes, dishes, prison garb, and rope to smoke if one chooses. simply put, hemp is versatile and can be an abundant and profitable resource.
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 7:59 pm:
- Just The Way It Is One - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 9:27 pm:
–George Washington grew hemp–
If so, and if it was good enough for the Father of our Country to grow, it’s good enough for Illinoisans too! Plus, it’s going to create more jobs, growth (in more ways than one) and oxygen for all of us to breathe–great idea, bring it on!
- Ghost - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:15 pm:
Yes.
It supports a number of the State green initiatives by providing a source for materials that are green and renewable which can be used to make ropes, clothing etc. We have enough nylon and plastic ropes which are nn-bio degradeable.
- Matt - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:17 pm:
There’s no reason it should be illegal. I’m not sure about the specifics but I think hemp is preferable to alternatives for at least a few uses, and can also be used in food as it’s very nutritious.
- downstate hack - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:18 pm:
Legalizing it as a crop is no problem. It has minimal THC and will be a valuable new commodity for Illinois farmers.
- Northsider - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:19 pm:
Yes, for the reasons Ghost states, plus it diversifies our agricultural/renewable resources that much more.
Someone might remind Rep. Hammond that just because all the farmland in her district is “spoken for” now, that doesn’t negate the probability that someone in her district would grow industrial hemp if it’s legal to do so and there is a legal market for it.
- MrJM - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:21 pm:
Yes. Even during the height of prohibition, we allowed American farmers to raise corn.
– MrJM
- Stones - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:23 pm:
It might be tough to regulate but I don’t have a big problem with it.
- Bill - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:24 pm:
Yes but only if they breed it to maximize the THC content.
- Larry Mullholland - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:24 pm:
Absolute Support. Its uses are endless. Oil!, fabric the list is huge.
It is a great rotational crop. Far less weed control chemicals will be utilized on fields due proximity of plants to Because the canopy cover and tight planting weed killers may not be needed. The THC is so low you could not get high if you wanted too. It grows naturally in many area of Illinois now.
ISP and other Law enforcement were vocal opposition when this legislation came up I think 01-02.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:25 pm:
I also agree that it should be legalized. This would bring more money into state coffers and improve our economy.
- Objective Dem - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:25 pm:
There is a long history of using hemp. But then our drug laws became too draconian and we lost common sense and outlawed hemp.
- Ray del Camino - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:29 pm:
George Washington grew hemp. It’s trendy now, too. Other states’ farmers are growing it.
A no-brainer. Yes.
- RMW Stanford - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:30 pm:
Yes it should be legal to grown hemp for industrial purpose. Thought I suspect that some people great over estimate the economic impact of doing so or how competitive it is going to be certain area with other products.
- cermak_rd - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:30 pm:
I see nothing wrong with it. Anyone trying to use industrial hemp for recreational purposes will discover it doesn’t do anything for him. It has a lot of uses and gives farmers one more crop choice. Sounds good to me.
- Just Observing - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:37 pm:
As far as I understand, the THC is not just minimal, it is to the point where it is impossible to get high off it. Any attempts to continue to criminalize this valid plant for industrial purposes is completley innane. Rep. Hammond (and whoever else voted against this) is a dummy. In fact, it is scary brainless people like her sit in the legislature.
- Wensicia - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:38 pm:
This should be a no-brainer, yes, it should be legal. It’s good for the environment and could become profitable as more businesses and consumers are going green.
- Bitterman - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:38 pm:
Sure. Another crop for farmers to grow. Diveristy is king. Agree that it can used in rotations to help reduce pesticide use.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:44 pm:
Absolutely. There is no reason not to legalize industrial hemp; it has many legit uses and is sustainable. It was once grown in the Kankakee area, I’ve been told it grows well in the soil in that county. It could be a great new “green” product for the area.
- Way Way Down Here - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:45 pm:
Another cash crop—go for it.
- Gregor - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:46 pm:
Hammond seems to understand little of agriculture. Monocropping in her district is a freakish way to grow and causes all kinds of expensive problems. Adding hemp to the rotation will be good for corn prices, soybeans as well. And it will help revitalize the soil with fewer fertilizers and pesticides. Growing hemp would actually be an *anti-drug* policy, because it doesn’t require the anhydrous ammonia tanks of corn fertilizer that the meth-heads are always raiding as raw material to make meth with. So you’re reducing the manufacturing ability of rural meth makers. It will create markets and jobs and thus bring in tax revenue for things like the oil and fiber these plants produce. You can burn them for energy as well. And it’s not like the law would order any farmer to produce this. Those operations that want to grow it can be monitored and regulated by the ag department. The growers can pay for whatever testing and monitoring their crop requires for compliance, so it is not much of a burden to the ag department.
The cops, particularly ISP, have always been huge opponents, with the same old arguments that non-drug hemp will be used as cover for pot operations. This is silly and unlikely. But the cops keep coming out hard against it, then the legislators chicken out because they don’t want to make it an election issue for their opponents.
What this is going to take to pass is for Quinn to order ISP to back off on the issue. If he doesn’t leash ISP’s knee-jerk response to hemp, the cycle of fear and ignorance over common sense will repeat yet again.
- WRMNpolitics - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:46 pm:
The more appropriate question is why the growing of an industrial product that posses minimal public safety risk needs to be made legal in Illinois? The bill corrects a law that is antiquated and has outlived its purpose.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:55 pm:
Yes, but only if names and addresses of growers are made available via FOIA. [/snark]
- Hmm... - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 12:59 pm:
Yes, I think the crop rotation value beats paying landowners for “no till” farmland.
- davidh60010 - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:07 pm:
Of course it should be. It
- Spliff - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:09 pm:
yes. Illinois has a long history of growing hemp. LaSalle County had farms prior to WW2 that were dedicated solely to growing it to be used to make rope for the navy.
- Responsa - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:13 pm:
Should be made legal. But from what (admittedly little) I know about this industrial crop I doubt it will be profitable or desirable for Illinois farmers to grow much of at this time, considering the current high prices they can get for the main commodity crops of corn and soybeans. Also, prime cropland values are sky high and there is very little acreage that comes on the market. I suspect this is what Hammond was getting at even though her statement was not very clear.
But the time may come when the other commodities are less in world demand, or factors could temporarily change (a blight or new bug). So having the ability to legally grow hemp as an alternative crop is good for farmers and landowners.
- South Side Mike - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:15 pm:
Yes. I am a huge opponent of marijuana (when I lived on Kimball in Chicago, just walking past the stairs of one brownstone that had heavy pot users was enough to give me a migraine), but there is an obvious difference between industrial hemp and weed in terms of usage.
My only hesitation is in the phyisical differences of the plants. Do the high-THC drug plants look identical to the industrial plants, or do the industrial ones have distinguishing marks- ie taller/shorter or thicker stemmed/thinner-stemmed? If there is no physical difference in appearance, my only question would be how could the limitation of growing industrial hemp be practically enforced.
- LisleMike - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:16 pm:
C’mon! When did any of us actually see a hemp rope in the hardware store? I am pres/treas of a family farm on Illinois/Indiana border near Danville and I think the idea is whoee. Will anyone support me if I grow cocooa plant to make Coke a cola?
I think it is a bad idea. Hey GA, how about working to reduce the deficit?
- RMW Stanford - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:19 pm:
LisleMike,
If their is no market for hemp products, or at least not a large profitable one, then it wont matter if it is legal or not because no one will grow it. Legalize it and let the market the decide.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:20 pm:
===Hey GA, how about working to reduce the deficit? ===
There’s such a thing as tax revenues from this. No?
- formerGOPer - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:29 pm:
I’m selfish and as a spinner would like to have easier access to hemp which is of course very good to have for historical purposes.
- LisleMike - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:30 pm:
OK Rich….I meant don’t we have more pressing issues to fix than hemp legalization, like our debt?
Tax revenue? Not for me, reductions more interesting!
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:32 pm:
===don’t we have more pressing issues===
Maybe. But to expect them to focus 100 percent of their attention on what you want them to is unreasonable and kinda goofy. Stick to the question, please.
- 21st State - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:36 pm:
ISP’s position shouldn’t be controlling - they opposed videotaping interrogations in capital cases remember
wonder if the farmers will wind up asserting they need subsidies in order to actually reap the crop
- 3rd Generation Chicago Native - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:40 pm:
Yes. Another crop to give farmers diversity, and keep their income up. If this crop grows fast and will help offset years where we don’t have enough rain or too much that would help with some income for farmers. I am no farmer but, maybe this is a hardy plant?
- Tom Smith - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:40 pm:
Anything to raise revenue is ok. We already have hemp growing here why not make money off it?
- Liandro - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:46 pm:
Absolutely. The burden of proof when seeking to ban or restrict something is always on the state, not the individual.
As others pointed out, hemp has been a needless casualty of the war on drugs; the evidence for why it has been banned has been flimsy at best.
- Canned Yard - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:53 pm:
I’m all for it, but you have to wonder about the intricacies of lobbying for the industry. Will local governments want to hire their own lobbyists to seek increases in the local take of hemp revenues? Or, will they start arguing for regional THC content levels (local control, you know), 3% for Makanda and Grand Tower, for instance, and the standard .5% for Naperville, Wheaton and Elgin (takes a much clearer mind to make it up there).
This should be a no-brainer, but will most likely NOT happen if law enforcement wrings its hands–again.
- Birdseed - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:55 pm:
===Yes but only if they breed it to maximize the THC content.===
The world would be a much better place….
- D.P. Gumby - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:55 pm:
Absolutely. We must diversify the corn/soybean industrial complex. We have an agricultural industry that is a vicious cycle of, for example, growing corn to produce products, like ethanol, that are developed in order to use up the corn cuz there’s too much corn even though other products (like W’s switchgrass) that would be better sources. So we plant more corn, etc., etc….
- LisleMike - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:58 pm:
OK…For those who are farmers…we know that when we choose a crop, we also have to have a market to whom to sell. Cargill and ADM have elevators to which we ship our goods. Where does one ship hemp? If this would create jobs in Illinois by establishing a outlet for goods grown, OK, I might change my vote. However, it is the market that determines the need for product, not the availability of raw materials.
- RetiredStateEmployee - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 2:02 pm:
Clearly this needs to be legalized. Rather than try to detail all of the reasons, read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp
The leading world exporter for hemp is China. The leading world importer is the United States. It can be used for so many products (other than hemp rope!). It can also be used as a food product. Let’s loose the “Refer Madness” mentality of the past and get educated.
- Amuzing Myself - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 2:08 pm:
Dang it, Rich! You stole my thunder. I was going to say it should be legalized only if you’re required to have a HOID card to purchase it.
- Small Town Liberal - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 2:08 pm:
- However, it is the market that determines the need for product, not the availability of raw materials. -
Kind of hard to find out what that market is when the product is illegal. It’s not like anyone is going to be forced to grow it.
- SAP - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 2:16 pm:
OF course it should be legal. Gives farmers an additional crop to put into rotation, reducing pesticide usage, thus reducing damage to soil, watershed, etc.
- Springfield Skeptic - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 2:17 pm:
Yes. Anything that will provide a cash crop for our ag community is a no brainer.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 2:20 pm:
LisleMike, you could ship it to Canada for processing. Or China. We ship plenty of raw materials overseas right now. Eventually, we could process it here. You’re an opponent. Stick with that. You’ve had your say.
- tj - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 2:27 pm:
No matter your thought on this passing in IL, something to keep in mind:
“Eight states have approved hemp farming: North Dakota, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, West Virginia and Vermont. However, the Drug Enforcement Agency has so far refused to weigh in on whether hemp farmers would be prosecuted for growing the plant, which is the same species as marijuana but lacks the chemical composition to intoxicate users.
In North Dakota, farmer and Republican state Rep. David Monson has filed suit against the federal government for not clarifying the rules about hemp production. His state has been granting hemp production licenses for several years and many farmers have been ” -from the Minnesota Independent
- Cheryl44 - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 2:32 pm:
No-brainer. Legalize it.
- dupage dan - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 2:41 pm:
Anybody who has ever smoked hemp knows it’s worthless as an intoxicant. However, Tarzan of the Jungle says it’s the monkeys’ hoot for swinging!
I don’t know how much $ this would bring into the state coffers via taxes but there is little danger of John and Judy teenager smoking it what with much more powerful weed available.
Legalize!
- Desert Dweller - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 2:41 pm:
Great opportunity for the state’s ag industry.
- McLean Farmboy - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 2:49 pm:
Politically and philosophically, I really don’t care one way or the other. Practically, though, the question is why bother? Hemp will not make one bit of difference to agriculture production in Illinois. There are very significant historical and economic reasons why we grow the crops we do. Two of the most important are logistical. One, there are over a thousand grain dealers licensed in the state of Illinois. Corn and soybeans can be delivered to almost any county elevator for sale. Most will take other small grains like wheat, oats and grain sorghum. Many of these elevators are still on freight rail lines that were built in the mid-1800’s that allows these interior country elevators to aggregate and sell to larger terminal markets. That will not be true for hemp, as it is also not true of specialty crops and fruits and vegetables. Also, exchanges (CBOT, CBOE, KC, MN) allow the opportunity for risk management that is crucial for production agriculture. Uniform standards and grading of commodity crops is central to that risk management function. Also part of that price discovery is a level of transparency that will not exist in a, as yet unknown, hemp market. Hemp will not be grown by traditional farmers but will end up being contract grown for individual processors or manufacturers in much the same vertically integrated structure that broiler chickens have been for the last forty years. Agronomically, hemp requires much the same soil fertility as corn. More importantly, it is also highly susceptible to the European corn borer which can be found all over Illinois. Corn varieties that have had resistance bred into them do not require chemical application to fight this pest, but older varieties of hemp will most probably need to have applications of pesticides in order to survive. Farmers have a vast array of options to rotate crops, and still very few actually do. In most cases it is economically disadvantageous for farmers to rotate crops, particularly going from row crops like corn, soybeans or small grains into what is essentially harvested like a forage crop. The equipment outlay alone will prevent hemp from wide adoption.
I really am making no value judgments about it, but it just seems like an old-fashioned boondoggle that gives some of us something interesting to talk about (perhaps myself most of all[/snark]).
- Anon - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 3:14 pm:
Voted yes because of the clear economic benefits for IL Farmers / Manuafacturers / Exporters.
The anhydrous ammonia used for fertilizer is more dangerous than the hemp crop would ever be, so why get hung up on the hemp issues?
- Aldyth - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 3:18 pm:
Yes. It is a crop and it can make money. Farmers should get to grow it.
Not part of the question, but I’m in favor of legalizing marijuana and taxing the heck out of it. Maybe Illinois could pay some bills and lower the prison population. Getting in between human beings and their intoxicants rarely works. Prohibition taught us that lesson.
- Jake From Elwood - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 3:20 pm:
I was told at a recent family gathering by two of the great uncles that our family grew hemp in central Illinois during WWII. It was a staple used by the soldiers for rope, canvas bags, etc. Apparently, it also grew between corn stalks in the family farm for as long as ten years just because it proved to be a rather sturdy seed.
With the recent revelation that I come from a proud lineage of hemp farmers, I see no reason not to legalize the production of industrial hemp.
- Lefty Lefty - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 3:23 pm:
Don’t forget you can make paper out of hemp too. Think of Weyerhauser, International, Georgia Pacific etc moving into IL. Google “hemp paper vs. tree paper” and see the potential.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 3:37 pm:
#
– Liandro - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 1:46 pm:
Absolutely. The burden of proof when seeking to ban or restrict something is always on the state, not the individual.
As others pointed out, hemp has been a needless casualty of the war on drugs; the evidence for why it has been banned has been flimsy at best.–
Liandro has it.
Hearst and McCormick had millions of acres of Canadian timber. They led the reefer madness against hemp to protect their own financial interests.
When I was a kid detasselling corn, we’d run across Illinois Ditchweed every once in a while, left over from the old days.
Smoking that would be the most effective anti-drug program of all time.
- Excessively Rabid - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 3:44 pm:
Of course. As others have pointed out, we already did it decades ago with no harm. My understanding it was during WWII when access to hemp supplies was limited by the Japanese. Having tried to get high from the resulting product from a farm somewhere around Lexington, I can tell you it doesn’t work but will give people something harmless to do. No idea about the potential profitability of this crop. Maybe it would be best on marginal land. Hard to see it competing for productive acres with $7 corn and $14 soybeans. Hemp is a very good crop for making all kinds of environmentally friendly products.
- What's in a name? - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 3:50 pm:
By all means allow it. The private sector will figure out the economics but it sound like a win win for everyone.
- Plutocrat03 - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 4:05 pm:
Sure
Makes no sense to restrict it when the thc is minimized.
Might even be fun watching someone trying to get high with this stuff
- Captain Illini - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 4:12 pm:
The fact of the matter is that in many rural counties of Illinois, remnants of the industrial hemp that was contracted by the US Government still exists as ditch weed. Several Bureau and Henry County farms were hemp growers in WWII and I don’t think it was a problem then as it shouldn’t now.
- Easily Entertained - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 4:25 pm:
Allow but regulate it. The hemp industry flourished in Illinois between 1840 and 1860 because of the strong demand for sailcloth and cordage. During World War I, hemp cultivation continued in Illinois. In 1938, the Marijuana Tax Act ended hemp production in the United States.
The most critical problem for commercial exploitation of hemp is the possible unauthorized drug use of the plant. Even though it is illegal, marijuana is at least the fourth most valuable crop in America, outranked only by corn, soybeans, and hay. THC is the world’s most popular illicit chemical, and indeed the fourth most popular recreational drug, after caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine.
US DEA guidelines allow products with a THC content of less than 0.3% to enter the US without a license. This standard has been adopted in several countries that allow industrial hemp cultivation. In practice, the illicit drug trade has access to easier methods of synthesizing THC or its analogues than by first extracting it from non-drug hemp strains.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 4:32 pm:
- McLean Farmboy - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 2:49 pm:
–Politically and philosophically, I really don’t care one way or the other==
But after you said that, you went on and on and on and on…
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 4:46 pm:
Yes. Hemp for Victory!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgSs6qCV4Jo
If there is not much of a market for it in the US it is likely because not only is industrial hemp illegal, you can’t get high from it.
I’ve heard that the argument against industrial hemp is based on the inevitable confusion created for law enforcement, similar to that in the medical marijuana states.
Best option: legalize all types of marijuana.
- SO IL M - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 5:01 pm:
Yes. Simple matter of allowing farmers the freedom to choose what they grow.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 5:22 pm:
–Yes. Simple matter of allowing farmers the freedom to choose what they grow.–
It ain’t that simple, and you know it. By the way, how many farmers do you know who don’t take that welfare check at the end of the year?
- yinn - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 5:50 pm:
Of course it should. I would like to buy hemp products (hemp oil for personal care products, hemp seed “nuts,” hemp “milk”) from hemp that’s been produced in Illinois instead of Canada.
- Skirmisher - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 6:45 pm:
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of acres of the stuff growing wild along old railroad rights-of-way, etc. in Illinois left over from World War I and II. Like almost every other country kid downstate, I tried smoking it 40 years ago and I can assure you it has no value for any purpose whatsoever other than making rope and feeding the local birds. So why all of the fuss? Hemp is a good product, preferrable to artificial fibers in many applications. Grow it!
- amalia - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 6:56 pm:
Yes, Yes, as I’ve waxed on too long on this forum in the past.
the THC level is minute. you cannot grow marijuana with hemp because it would ruin the marijuana THC with cross poll. The uses are myriad…paper, rope, clothing, shampoo, a recently purchased bath product…all legally sold in Illinois. the plant is an amazing soil amendment, growing deep roots for natural tilling, and growing tall quickly.
but, most importantly, let’s trot out the argument du jour, or de rigure. of the conservatives…..THE FOUNDERS, THE FOUNDERS. if it was good enough for George, Thomas and Ben, it’s good enough for us.
- Ben - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 6:59 pm:
Easy–legalizing industrial hemp will create jobs/tax revenues. I’m for it!
- A Citizen - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 7:05 pm:
Yes, allow it. Use some of the corn for mash and make some hooch, then smoke some industrial hemp and enjoy. The average city slicker won’t know the difference.
- Downsate Commissioner - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 7:20 pm:
Voted Yes-the arguements against it are silly, but then there are still some people who think that prohibition should return…
- JN - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 7:22 pm:
Legalizing hemp will make it much more difficult to identify the high-THC marijuana that is illegal. Therefore the State Police will probably not support it.
Yes I support legalization of industrial hemp =D
- Justice - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 7:34 pm:
Yes. I have personally smoked it and I can tell you that it is worthless for a high. But then again, I’ve smoked rabbit tobacco, which was as non-effective.
Hemp can be used for many, many products, including ethanol, paper, clothes, dishes, prison garb, and rope to smoke if one chooses. simply put, hemp is versatile and can be an abundant and profitable resource.
- Kasich Walker, Jr. - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 7:59 pm:
Seattle Times presented an editorial supporting legalization: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2014270472_edit20legal.html
Obama’s Office of National Drug Control Policy director Gil Kerlikowske flies out to Seattle to talk: http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2011/02/25/white-house-requested-meeting-with-seattle-times-editorial-board-to-bully-against-pro-pot-articles
Colorado Congressman Jared Polis speaks sense:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogluk4VjPiM
Seattle City Attorney Peter Holmes states he will not prosecute marijuana-possession cases and calls for the legalization, taxation and regulation of marijuana for adult recreational use.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2014247491_guest17holmes.html
- Just The Way It Is One - Thursday, Mar 3, 11 @ 9:27 pm:
–George Washington grew hemp–
If so, and if it was good enough for the Father of our Country to grow, it’s good enough for Illinoisans too! Plus, it’s going to create more jobs, growth (in more ways than one) and oxygen for all of us to breathe–great idea, bring it on!