It's not harmful, it would give farmers an alternative. If they've got land that sits aside and doesn't do a darn thing, that stuff will grow on it. Rest assured of that. Industrial hemp, which is grown for fiber and other uses, is the same species as marijuana, Cannibis Sativa. Hemp, however, is a different variety, with very low levels of the active ingredient in marijuana.
Hemp growing is illegal in Minnesota under both federal and state law.
David Morris of the Institute for Local Self Reliance, a Minneapolis and Washington D.C.-based environmental group, says Minnesota farmers are missing out on a crop that could be profitable, and could also benefit the environment. Hemp is a multipurpose crop. It's a fiber crop, and Minnesota lacks a fiber crop right now. Therefore, it could substitute for flax, which makes linen. It could substitute for cotton.