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On Friday, Minister for Regulation David Seymour announced it would review what he called "outdated and burdensome regulations" surrounding industrial hemp.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.
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