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Hemp Reform in Illinois: Fear Tactics and Political Games EXPOSED

Writer's picture: IHGAIHGA

The buzz from lame duck session hasn’t quieted down just yet. News stories and interviews continue to filter in each day and with every newly published article it is becoming more obvious that the narrative on hemp vs marijuana is starting to change. 


One great example of this is demonstrated in an interview about the new budget season with Speaker of the House Chris Welch. In a discussion with WGN-TV, he makes a few points clear that that the IHGA has been reiterating since the 2024 spring session.




  1. That support for fair hemp regulation was strong in the House: “The governor gave us a roll call. He knew beforehand that we were going to verify that roll call, and that roll call wasn’t even close.”


  2. That “social equity” through the CRTA has many valid criticisms and we should not emulate its programs: “There’s a perception that the social equity program was not done correctly in the cannabis space…. and the legislation that’s currently proposed would literally put those people out of business right now, and it would turn it over to the cannabis people,” 


  1. New taxes are not popular among voters: “People don’t want us talking about taxes right now,”


The above stands in stark contrast to the rhetoric of the Governor and the Senate Leader. Rhetoric such as:

  1. Kids are getting these products so much and its so dangerous

  2. Fake products are confusing to children

  3. No one is going out of business from this bill

  4. This is not making hemp illegal, you just have to get it at our dispensaries only now

  5. We had more than enough votes to pass this bill in the house

  6. We need to protect our CRTA social equity program with this bill

  7. Marijuana is safer than hemp because of testing and limits

  8. Hemp is unregulated, untested, and unsafe

  9. People are selling hemp products that we consider to be illegal already


Many of these points are conflated and thrown around interchangeably, however it’s important to focus on the true purpose of government which is to protect public safety.


Often when we dive into discussions about hemp and public safety, other concepts are frequently brought into play by misguided retailers pushing alternative agendas and special interests. For example:


  1. Additional taxes on hemp are needed to help fix state or city budget problems

  2. Additional hemp licenses are needed for retail, transportation, or specific types of processing for reasons not related to administration or enforcement of hemp production

  3. Limits being needed on the amount or the type of cannabinoids that can be produced or sold without any basis in science or law

  4. Issues with copycat products or trademark infringing packages that are damaging the reputation of established brands


None of the above concepts has anything to do with public safety. A common sense, point by point rebuttal of the above is provided below:


  1. Our government collects taxes on every hemp product sold already. It’s called the sales tax. 

    1. It’s important to ask ourselves why every propagandist in support of the governor’s bill seems to think that the sales tax - which averages around 9% in the state - does not exist. If hemp is a billion dollar industry in Illinois annually, the state has already received $100 million in sales tax. $100 million is how much it will cost to run the entire 104th General Assembly for a year. This is a matter of fact. 

    2. It is also important to reflect on why exactly we have certain “luxury” taxes on things like tobacco or alcohol. These things are well established as having a deleterious effect on human health and public safety. Conversely, hemp products do not have a similar well established societal cost and should not be taxed as though they do.


  1. All hemp producers are already licensed. The cost of a license is between $475 and $1100. Proposed fees for new licenses are 10x the cost. Hemp is not liquor. Hemp is not tobacco. Any currently registered business should be able to sell hemp without a license provided it exists in a form that is presently legal in the United States which is the current law of the land and has been since 2018.

    1. It is reasonable for the state to go beyond the federal minimum and require retailers to robustly verify ID for purchases of hemp products. 

    2. It is unreasonable for the state to extort legitimate businesses with exorbitant fees for frivolous licenses which do nothing to enhance public safety.

  2. Limits on the quantity or specific type of cannabinoids that can or can’t be sold should be disregarded as only beneficial to special interest groups in the marijuana industry.

    1. Due to its illegal status federally, the marijuana industry in Illinois has self-imposed limits on serving sizes and quantities allowed per purchase under the guise of protecting public health and eliminating black markets. In reality, the limits only serve to reduce the value the consumer gets for their dollar and forces them to return to the dispensary more frequently because they can’t stock up. 

    2. Consumers overwhelmingly prefer to have the widest variety of choices possible. Free market economics will determine how many milligrams per package is the most desirable for consumers. Producers will adjust and compete or be left behind. The government has no role to play in this process.

    3. It is important to note that there is no legitimate evidence that supports limits on serving sizes of cannabis as necessary to protect human health. There is currently no legal basis for any such limits to apply to hemp either federally or at the state level and this has been the case since 2018.

  3. As with any other copycat product or trademark infringement case, there are already a plethora of legal mechanisms available to established brands to take action against producers who copy their products without permission or otherwise infringe or damage their brand. This issue is a red herring when it comes to hemp. Hemp is not the only industry where this occurs and is not a special case in any regard. 

    1. Often propagandists will also point out that these copy cat products could reach the hands of kids because they are so similar or that these products have bright colors and fun names which are appealing to children. Even though this is a conflation of the issue of infringement with public safety, it is important to note that there are many common products containing alcohol or tobacco or high doses of caffeine, herbs, sugar or other supplements that come in brightly colored packages with fun names as well.


In summary, hemp is not illegal. Also, consuming hemp is not mandatory. The current industry has existed since 2018 and there is no public health emergency.


Propagandists will say the current industry is a loophole, it’s unregulated, it’s dangerous. They will tell you stories of children in the hospital. They will say children are dying.


Federal law is clear. Production is regulated. Hemp products are safer than coffee. Anecdotes are not evidence. Claims made without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.


A standalone bill that addresses legitimate public safety concerns without playing economic favorites is already introduced in the 104th General Assembly.


Reach out to your House Representatives and ask that they Co-Sponsor and vote yes on HB0064 in 2025.





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