Woody Harrelson Cleared by Jury

By Stephen M. Silverman

08/05/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Woody Harrelson is a free man. A Kentucky jury on Thursday cleared the actor and hemp activist of misdemeanor marijuana possession charges, ending his four-year legal battle to convince the state to differentiate between parts of the cannabis plant (which produces both marijuana and hemp), reports the Associated Press. Harrelson, 39, knowingly planted four hemp seeds in 1996 and, correctly, anticipated his arrest. "Regardless of what the Supreme Court says and regardless of what the legislators say, those people don't think it's right that someone should go to jail for growing industrial hemp," Harrelson said after the jury took 25 minutes to arrive at its decision. The prosecuting attorney had asked them to fine Woody the maximum $500 and give him at least 30 days in the hoosegow because, he insisted, Harrelson misused his fame to break the law.