Newly legal hemp, CBD plants at Illinois State Fair display

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Visitors to the Illinois State Fair can see a plot of newly legalized industrial hemp growing.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday that 100 industrial hemp and eight CBD plants were planted next to the U of I Master Gardner's land on 8th Street.

Hemp production was legalized last summer and officials in April made applications available to would-be growers.

Agriculture Director John Sullivan says the two varieties of the cash crop are easy to differentiate. CBD plants need to branch out to produce buds for oils. Industrial strains are planted close together so they will grow tall with long, straight stems for production of fiber or hurd - dense, absorbent material.

An agriculture official will be giving presentations at the hemp plot daily from 1 to 3 p.m.