Bill to Legalize Industrial Hemp May Head to Illinois Governor

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]I[/dropcap]llinois’ House of Representatives voted 103-6 late last week on a bill to legalize the commercial use of hemp and may soon send it the governor’s way for approval.

Illinois may soon be the 17th state to legalize industrial hemp with the approval of Senate Bill 2298. On May 23, the bill successfully passed through the Illinois House of Representatives after the Senate had previously given its green light to the bill. SB-2298 would establish the Industrial Hemp Act and would allow farmers to cultivate industrial hemp.  In order to legalize industrial hemp, the bill amends the Cannabis Control Act and clarifies that, “that ‘cannabis’ does not include industrial hemp” in this regard.

The legislation, first introduced by Sen. Hutchinson in January, gives the opportunity for individuals to apply for permits. “With more than 80 percent of our land use tied to agriculture, farmers would finally have the chance to grow and produce a product that is already available in our stores,” Hutchinson said in a statement.

Farmers of industrial hemp would need to be licensed by the state Department of Agriculture. However, the growers would not be required to be a part of the state’s Agriculture Department pilot program. Under that program hemp cultivation is only permitted as part of a state-sponsored research. Those interested in applying for the permit, providing that the bill reaches the governor for approval, would need to give a “legal description of the land area, including Global Positioning System coordinates.”

The Senate passed the bill in a 50-0 vote, while the House gave its approval in a 106-3 vote. The bill will now travel back to the Senate for a final concurrence vote where it will be determined whether or not it will reach the Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk.

Producing hemp as an industrial crop would allow for the plant to be used in the production of textiles, paper, commercial and industrial products. Hempcrete, for example, is an eco-friendly alternative for using traditional concrete for construction. Hemp in the past has been grouped together with cannabis without being considered as a separate crop in its own right. Unlike cannabis, hemp does not possess the same levels of THC that create the “high” sensation in consumers. Despite this, since 1937 it has been banned in the United States at the federal level as a Schedule I drug.