Illinois Legalizes Industrial Hemp
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]n Saturday, Aug. 25, Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill, legalizing industrial hemp in Illinois. Senate Bill 2298, which became the Industrial Hemp Act, became effective immediately.
Sen. Toi Hutchinson introduced the bill last January. Hutchinson’s first attempt, Senate Bill 1294, passed in the Senate but died in the House Rules Committee. The new bill legalizes the cultivation and production of hemp for non-drug uses such as fibers, textiles, cosmetics and supplemental health foods. The bill sailed through the state’s House of Representatives with an affirmative vote of 106-3.
A growing number of states now allow the production of industrial hemp. “Legalizing the farming of industrial hemp just makes good sense,” Rauner said in a statement. “Roughly 38 states—including our neighbors in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri and Tennessee—have allowed or are considering allowing cultivation of this crop for commercial, research or pilot programs. Our farmers should have this option as well.”
Another cannabis bill known as Senate Bill 336 is at Rauner’s desk and would expand the number of doctors to recommend medical cannabis as alternative to opioids.
“The production of industrial hemp has broad support among our farmers and rural families, as they know this will add another potentially significant crop that can be grown in our state,” sponsoring state Rep. Tim Butler stated. “In the early 20th century, Illinois was a national leader in hemp production and I look forward to us returning to that position.”
Allowing industrial hemp production in Illinois could provide hundreds of jobs plus generated up to $100 million in annual state revenue. Hemp once thrived in Illinois during the 19th century, and it also helped support losses sustained by the Allied Forces during World War II. The crop could help Illinois return as a major hemp producer.
There are few states left in America that don’t allow some form of industrial hemp.
