Header Image: Hemp Industries Association president Richard Barge
The industrial hemp sector says it’s one step closer to finally unlocking the true potential of the fibre crop, following the announcement of a long-awaited regulatory review.
On Friday, Minister for Regulation David Seymour announced it would review what he called “outdated and burdensome regulations” surrounding industrial hemp.
It was the result of years of campaigning by hemp farmers, processors and companies that were hamstrung by regulations developed in 2006, which put licensing for cultivation into the hands of the Ministry of Health.
A ministry license was required for growers of the crop, as it was classified as a class-C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
But Hemp Industries Association president Richard Barge said industrial hemp contained “very minimal amounts” of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive chemical compound found in cannabis, to which hemp was closely related.
He said he hoped the review would change the stigma around industrial hemp and cannabis, and unlock its many growth opportunities in booming areas like health and wellness.
“These positive, supportive comments, recommendations and actions made by the Government will help us to build up that picture of removing the stigma of marijuana from our conversation,” Barge said.
He said industrial hemp should be de-coupled from the Misuse of Drugs Act, which drove a decline in both the area planted and the number of licenses in recent years.
The group commissioned a report with funding from AGMARDT by Dr Nick Marsh in 2020, which said the industrial hemp industry could be worth $2 billion and create 20,000 jobs by 2030 if regulation enabled it.
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