NZ Hemp Industries Association Inc
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Public Newsletter for December 2016
In this issue:
- Ministry of Health should follow the Canadian lead, simplyifing the control of the low THC hemp crop
- Still no hemp foods for humans, Food Ministers missed an opportunity in November
- Hikurangi Enterprises started an iHemp trial crop and sustainability project
- The Government are they for or against the industry?
- A Christmas Message from 2001 and the 5 Minute Guide.
- Hemp season begins, planting underway.
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Male and Female hemp plants
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MOH should follow the Canadian lead
The Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance has been given an early Christmas present from Health Canada, after many years of calling for the regulations to be updated to better reflect and accommodate the current and future industry, they have finally been heard.
The newly elected Prime Minister , Justine Trudeau, who made marijuana legalization a campaign promise has started by making life simpler for the iHemp growers in Canada
Section 56 Class exemption in relation to the Industrial Hemp Regulations introduces a number of changes that will make the compliance significantly easier.
You will no longer have to pre-identify sites, instead when you chose the are to be cultivated you submit a "notification of cultivation of industrial Hemp." Other changes include, one industrial hemp licence can cover all cultivation sites and activities, the requirement to test for THC is removed (except in some plant breeding and other cases) And applications will be accepted electronically.
Our Ministry of Health needs to take a look at how other countries handle this arable crop, we are licenced to grow low THC iHemp, we are not growing dope and should not be restricted as though we were.
Our system needs to be simple and reflect that, this is just another crop NOT A DRUG CROP
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Still no hemp foods for humans, the food fiasco continues.
The November meeting of the 10 FSANZ Food Ministers went quietly by and no decision was made on hemp seed as a food.
The inability of the Food Ministers to reach a decision has meant that we have missed the opportunity to scale up the seed industry this season and now we may lose another year.
This is a huge problem as the next meeting of the Food Ministers is not until 28 April 2017. A yes vote then, does not give our Ministry of Health much time to make the required changes to the legal framework to allow hemp food products to be sold.
The official communique explains they want to make a fact and scientific based decision and are waiting for a study to be completed. The study was required by the Victorian Police to see if people who eat hemp food products will test positive for THC, using a roadside swab test.
Hemp products are made from industrial hemp which is by definition low THC hemp, so the negligible amounts of THC detected by precise scientific equipment will not be enough to show up on any drug test, this seems very clear to the iHemp industry.
But the Victorian Police need to complete a study to see if their road side swab tests pick up any THC from eating hemp foods. The lucky participants in the trial must be enjoying having legal access to hemp seed for human consumption.
Just like everyone else on the planet except us, in NZ and Australia!!
The proposal P1042 Low THC Hemp Seeds as Food, being put forward by the FSANZ officials is a start but after 18 years of waiting it is a shame that it does not include all foods from the industrial hemp plant.
Check out some of the background to human consumption of hemp seed at the Food Standards Hemp seed as a food link.
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Hikurangi Enterprises - Hemp on the East Coast
Hikurangi Enterprises recently secured their license from the government to grow a trial crop of hemp for seed oil and fibre this summer, and is looking at other natural fibres for construction and polymer products. The group is also leading a regional energy study for remote rural communities, including the opportunity to establish a solar electricity producer-consumer cooperative.
A survey done for Hikurangi enterprises and the feedback of what people said really shows what transparency can achieve.
Clearly for kids, life with space, water and running around in the bush and beach is a great start!!
Access to internet would help tremendously for expat mum and dads - connectivity is the life blood for future worldwide tech/remote working opportunities.
Food security and sustainable local potential is the future and a compliment for the service orientated computer/technology economy that everyone with an internet connection can be part of.
The economy of the future is going to be very different and these changes are happening right now.
The basics food, shelter, clothing and love will still apply for all local communities.
Clearly in the case of Hikurangi there is a strong foundation and so the future is full of unlimited potential.
And now is the time to move forward in the way discussed in this article and with the local community.
Full article features here
http://www.ngatiporou.com/article/working-home
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The Government are they for or against the industry
The NZHIA have contacted many government ministries and departments during 2016, and have continuously been meet with enthusiastic people who are aware of the potential for iHemp.
We have been impressed with their openness and understanding of all the positive qualities and products from the crop.
From ministers and their staff to regional and district councils they can see and understand the bio regional development opportunities.
They can see the wide range of products made from iHemp. And understand that business will invest in plant, equipment and labour to produce them for the local and export market.
They appreciated that this work will be done in the regions, reviving rural communities. IHemp is a bulky raw material so the initial processing work must be done close to where the crop is grown.
This creates local economic and social opportunities which are sustainable.
And the effect spreads wider as new business will be required to service and provide inputs to the new emerging iHemp industry.
And the great thing is it will happen in rural NZ. A new arable industry will lead to all sorts of employment, training and education opportunities.
2017 is going to be an important year for the industry to work with ministries at all levels to get us moving toward a common vision.
Ministry of Health should administer the regulations, not try and run the industry. The iHemp industry must have access to all markets for iHemp and hemp products.
The objectives of the Industrial Hemp Regulations 2006 are clear: Let a iHemp industry develop as long as it is not promoting high THC cannabis. This makes it easy as we are only licenced to grow industrial hemp a low THC crop. Let us get on with supplying the market for hemp products with out the MOH getting in the way.
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