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91_HR0553 LRB9112744MWgc 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, Industrial hemp refers to varieties of the 3 cannabis plant that have a low content of 4 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and that are cultivated for fiber 5 and oil; and 6 WHEREAS, Industrial hemp should not be confused with 7 varieties of cannabis that have high content of 8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and that are commonly referred to 9 as marijuana; and 10 WHEREAS, The commercial production and cultivation of 11 industrial hemp is now permitted in Canada, under licenses 12 and authorizations issued by Health Canada; and 13 WHEREAS, Health Canada controls, through rules, all 14 activities relating to the importation, exportation, 15 possession, production, sale, provision, transportation, 16 sending, delivering, and offering for sale of industrial 17 hemp; and 18 WHEREAS, Industrial hemp is grown legally throughout 19 Europe and Asia; and 20 WHEREAS, Many farmers facing uncertain times in the 21 agricultural marketplace view the reintroduction of 22 industrial hemp as another potentially alternative crop that 23 will have long-term economic benefits to the farmers who 24 produce hemp and the persons who use hemp in the production 25 of textiles, paper products, concrete reinforcement, 26 automobile parts, plastic, cosmetics, organic foods, and 27 natural body products; and 28 WHEREAS, Congress never originally intended to prohibit 29 the production of industrial hemp when restricting the 30 production, possession, and use of marijuana; therefore be it -2- LRB9112744MWgc 1 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 2 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 3 we urge the United States Congress to acknowledge the 4 difference between the hallucinogenic drug known as marijuana 5 and the agricultural crop known as industrial hemp; to 6 acknowledge that allowing and encouraging farmers to produce 7 industrial hemp will improve the balance of trade by 8 promoting domestic sources of industrial hemp; and to assist 9 United States' producers by clearly authorizing the 10 commercial production of industrial hemp and by being the 11 leading advocate for the industrial hemp industry; and be it 12 further 13 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 14 delivered to the President pro tempore of the United States 15 Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of 16 Representatives, the chairmen of the Agriculture Committees 17 of the United States Senate and House of Representatives, the 18 United States Secretary of Agriculture, and each member of 19 the Illinois congressional delegation.