CANNABIS SEED DEALER GETS LEGAL APPROVAL

Mac McIntosh, of Wellington, is the first dealer to legally order
imported cannabis seeds for growing industrial hemp in New Zealand.

The Health Ministry signed off Mr McIntosh's licence to deal in hemp
seed for industrial use yesterday, and last night he placed his first
orders for 14 varieties of hemp with curious names like Felina 19 and
Fedora 34.

He will supply Canadian and Hungarian hemp seed to 11 growers
approved by the Health Ministry to take part in industrial hemp
growing trials covering 55 hectares (138 acres) at secret locations
around New Zealand.

The ministry yesterday mailed licences to the first approved growers.
But Mr McIntosh, of Newlands, Wellington, was so happy that his
licence to import and deal in seed use had been approved that he
turned up personally at the ministry to collect it.

"Today I feel that I am a very fortunate person in a very fortunate
place and time," he said.

Mr McIntosh has campaigned for 12 years for industrial hemp to be
grown in New Zealand, since working out he could make $160,000 a year
by putting less than a quarter of his South Island farm into hemp. He
has since sold the farm, set up Hemp Seed Holdings to import and
distribute seed, and is president of the New Zealand Hemp Industries
Association.

"For me, personally, this is the biggest deal in the past 12 years of
my life. For the industry it is significant and we are hoping that it
will be significant for the New Zealand economy."

The first seed should arrive and be planted by late next month, and
the first hemp fibre harvests should begin before Christmas, Mr
McIntosh said.

Two New Zealand processors were lined up to buy the crops - the Waihi
Beach Organic Farm of Geraldine, which will make hemp seed oil, and
New Wool Products, Nelson, which will make wool and hemp fibre
insulation.

They were eagerly awaiting up to 5000 tonnes of fibre to be produced,
Mr McIntosh said. "We cannot fill their demand at this stage of
development and I would expect it would be two to three years before
we could."

David Musgrave of Waihi Beach Organic Farm estimated the New Zealand
hemp market could be worth up to $30 million within five years. Hemp
seed oil was a valuable dietary supplement because of its Omega 3
fatty acid content, and Central Otago had the perfect growing
conditions, he said.

The Health Ministry was expected to approve more licences for the
trials on the 30th of each month till the end of this year.

The 11 trials approved this week ranged from South Canterbury to
Waikato, for sites ranging from 500 square metres to 20 hectares.
Licences were issued for one year.

The level of tetrahydrocannabinol - the active ingredient in cannabis
- - must be less than 0.35 per cent in the industrial hemp crops, about
10-20 times lower than the amount in an illicit cannabis cigarette.

The Government-approved trials will assess whether hemp can be
successfully grown and the varieties most suited to New Zealand.

If successful, a Government working group will consider what
restrictions should be placed on commercial cultivation.