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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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New Zealand: Minister approves in principle industrial hemp trials
NORML New Zealand Online News Service Thursday 27 Jul 2000 Date: 27 July 2000 1. Customs Minister Phillida Bunkle PR: Minister approves in principle industrial hemp trials 2. Green Party PR: Progress on hemp frustratingly slow 27 July 2000 Phillida Bunkle Media Statement Minister approves in principle industrial hemp trials Customs Minister Phillida Bunkle has given her officials the go ahead to start negotiating with industry representatives to develop trial plots of industrial hemp. Phillida Bunkle said industrial hemp offered a unique opportunity for regional development in New Zealand. She has agreed in principle to the trials going ahead. "More work will need to be done on developing a framework for how the trials will be conducted and which government agency will be responsible for controlling the trial plots through a licensing system. "Industrial hemp trials can be conducted under existing legislation, but it would still need government approval for the product to be grown here commercially. If the trials are successful, we envisage removing hemp from the Misuse of Drugs Act and regulating it under the Customs and Excise Act." she said. "I am personally convinced that hemp is a wonderful natural product and it presents us with an excellent opportunity for economic development in many regions currently experiencing difficulties. "My officials are confident hemp crops would be comfortably controlled within the existing licensing framework under the Customs and Excise Act." An inter-government agency working party which has been looking at the industrial hemp issue, gave its approval for trials to proceed. Industrial representatives will now meet with Customs staff on August 21 to negotiate a framework for the trials. "The trial period would enable us to find out what soils and conditions hemp is best suited to, and it also gives us a chance to clear up a lot of the misunderstandings about hemp. It is not cannabis." New Zealand imports more than $1million in hemp products. Ms Bunkle said trials could start as early as this summer. ENDS ---- Progress on hemp frustratingly slow Thursday, 27 July 2000, 9:14 am Press Release: Green Party 27 July 2000 Progress on hemp frustratingly slow The Green Party hopes that announcements today from Health Minister Annette King and Customs Minister Phillida Bunkle that hemp trials could start this summer spells the end of years of procrastination by Government politicians. Annette King announced on Morning Report this morning that an officials working party is about to recommend that farmers will be able to apply for licences to grow industrial hemp in the near future. Phillida Bunkle said the crops could be in the ground by October. "It is urgent that the Government makes some firm decisions so that those farmers who are keen to try this new crop can get it in the ground this growing season," said Green Party Co-Leader Rod Donald. "Even a quick decision will mean the time frame will be tight to bring in seeds and set up the infrastructure for planting, harvesting and processing. "The hemp industry in New Zealand has been on ice because successive Governments have been unduly influenced by those opposed to its introduction. Meanwhile South Africa has launched a major hemp growing initiative and trials have been underway for several years in Australia. "It is ironic that the last Government talked a lot about enterprise and initiative and yet refused to allow Federated Farmers to trial this potentially lucrative crop. "The new Government has been moving at a snails pace, but at least it has been moving. In February it announced that it would support in principle the lifting of a moratorium on issuing licences to grow industrial hemp which was imposed by National in 1995. But it has taken until now to implement a 1997 Ministry of Health recommendation to set up the licencing criteria," said Mr Donald. "The biggest problem with industrial hemp is that because of its high THC cousin it is classed as a controlled drug. "The current review of the Misuse of Drugs Act could fix the situation by setting a THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) level below which hemp seeds and plants would not be classified as a drug. Then licences for growing hemp could be issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, where it sensibly belongs, rather than by the Ministry of Health," he said Rod Donald, MP: 04 470 6660, 025 507 183 Jonathan Hill, Press Secretary: 04 470 6719, 021 110 1133 ================================================ National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, NZ Inc. Website: http://www.norml.org.nz Email: norml@apc.org.nz Subscribe to NORML News Online! Send mailto:norml@apc.org.nz with 'subscribe' [or 'unsubscribe'] in subject line 60 Queen Street Auckland New Zealand PO Box 3307 Shortland St Auckland 1015 Ph +64 9 302-5255 Fax +64 9 303-1309
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