T
The420Guy
Guest
AUSTRALIA – Kim Hough's dream to see WA farmers growing open fields of cannabis edged closer this week.
The Hemp Resources chief executive officer and Hemp Association of WA president has been lobbying the Government for five years to allow industrial hemp to be grown in WA.
And this week the State Government announced it would move to amend legislation to allow "safe" industrial cannabis to be grown.
Agriculture Minister Kim Chance said a proposal would be put to Cabinet to allow cannabis containing less than 0.35 per cent of the hallucinogenic drug tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to be legalised.
Industrial hemp, which cannot be used as a drug, is grown in about 30 countries, including Canada, Italy and Hungary.
Mr Hough said if the legislation was passed, Hemp Resources could tap into a $1-billion-a-year market for hemp products.
"We want the Government to reclassify industrial hemp as an agricultural product so we can set up an industry," he said.
"Hemp's health and medicinal values have been proven and it's safe."
The company produces a cooking oil and a range of cosmetics, including shampoo and lip balm under its Hempcare brand.
Since its 1999 inception, it has sold the Victorian-made products using hemp oil from Canada.
Mr Hough said allowing WA farmers to grow hemp would cut out the middle man, benefit WA financially and reduce salinity and soil contamination. But he has had to battle the stigma associated with cannabis.
Growing industrial hemp is a viable and exciting concept and it's very frustrating that red tape means we can't get it going," he said.
Joanne McCulloch, Sunday Times
Copyright © 2002, Sunday Times. All rights reserved.
Unlocking Hemp's Potential™ - Global Hemp
The Hemp Resources chief executive officer and Hemp Association of WA president has been lobbying the Government for five years to allow industrial hemp to be grown in WA.
And this week the State Government announced it would move to amend legislation to allow "safe" industrial cannabis to be grown.
Agriculture Minister Kim Chance said a proposal would be put to Cabinet to allow cannabis containing less than 0.35 per cent of the hallucinogenic drug tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to be legalised.
Industrial hemp, which cannot be used as a drug, is grown in about 30 countries, including Canada, Italy and Hungary.
Mr Hough said if the legislation was passed, Hemp Resources could tap into a $1-billion-a-year market for hemp products.
"We want the Government to reclassify industrial hemp as an agricultural product so we can set up an industry," he said.
"Hemp's health and medicinal values have been proven and it's safe."
The company produces a cooking oil and a range of cosmetics, including shampoo and lip balm under its Hempcare brand.
Since its 1999 inception, it has sold the Victorian-made products using hemp oil from Canada.
Mr Hough said allowing WA farmers to grow hemp would cut out the middle man, benefit WA financially and reduce salinity and soil contamination. But he has had to battle the stigma associated with cannabis.
Growing industrial hemp is a viable and exciting concept and it's very frustrating that red tape means we can't get it going," he said.
Joanne McCulloch, Sunday Times
Copyright © 2002, Sunday Times. All rights reserved.
Unlocking Hemp's Potential™ - Global Hemp
