This is what happens when you only regulate to enrich a small amount of companies, their shareholders and keep politicians in a position where they can play the law and order card which as this story proves, does not work and ends up in abject failure.
Watch this story on ABC TV’s Landline at 12:30pm on Sunday, or on iview.
Well done the ABC for filing the report.
Industrial hemp growers in New South Wales are flouting the law to produce medical cannabis products for the black market, according to the head of Australia’s largest hemp seed food producer.
Key points:
- A major processor of hemp seed food warns that industrial growers in New South Wales are supplying medical cannabis to the black market
- The TGA last year allowed CBD products to be sold over the counter, but none have yet been through the approvals process
- New South Wales police says it works with regulators to monitor the hemp industry but would not confirm any active investigations
Paul Benhaim is the non-executive director of the global group Elixinol Wellness, which owns Hemp Foods Australia.
He claims licensed hemp growers are producing cannabidiol or CBD products for a booming wellness market, even though under Australian law the hemp byproduct is a prescription-only medicine.
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While CBD prescriptions doubled to about 10,000 a month this year, he believed the black market in Australia was about 10 times larger.
“It’s common knowledge in the northern New South Wales area that CBD is available at many places,” he said.
“Many places are claiming it to be legal without a prescription.”
Black market brings risks
This year, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) relaxed the regulations covering CBD products to make them available over the counter, but no products have yet been through the approvals process required to be made legal.
Brisbane-based medical cannabis producer Craig Cochran said people were taking a risk if they bought CBD products that were not approved by the TGA.
“They don’t know what’s in it, they don’t know how it’s grown, they don’t know if it’s got mould, they don’t know if it’s got pesticides, heavy metals — the list just goes on,” Mr Cochran said.
Read more at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-22/hemp-growers-medical-cannabis-black-market-says-producer/100352806
