MANY JOBS IF HEMP TRIALS APPROVED

A new food product business rivalling the size of Barkers could be
operating in South Canterbury within a couple of years, providing hemp
growing trials get the green light, Waihi Bush organic farmers David
Musgrave said on Friday.

Health Minister Annette King has finally approved the cultivation of trial
plots of industrial hemp will be allowed under strict conditions.

Mrs King said hemp, regardless of how it was grown, fell under the Misuse
of Drugs Act 1975 and for that reason careful consideration had been given
to ensuring that the application and monitoring procedures for cultivation
of industrial hemp provided the appropriate protection for all involved.

Hemp is in the same family as cannabis but THC, the mind altering
ingredient in the drug, was only present in tiny amounts in hemp.

"Someone could smoke it for a year and wouldn't get a high from it," Mr
Musgrave said. "The only thing they'd get is lung cancer."

Mr Musgrave said he was applying for a relatively large trial area and had
a number of seed varieties he wanted to try.

Those that grew best he hoped to be able to continue to grow and from it he
would establish a food product business.

He already produces organic flax oil on a commercial scale.

"We were already looking at expanding before the hemp came along. The only
problem we have is finding enough organic growers.

"But now the Government has come on board and certified organic standards
we are hoping more people will give it a try."

Mr Musgrave said he intended to try out harvesting and other equipment
during the trial and if all went well hoped to produce a fairly
comprehensive range of food products, as well as providing fibre for
insulation.

"You can create the same range of products with hemp as you can with soy
beans but it is better for you.

"Hemp is a high class protein. You can make oil, butter which tastes better
than peanut butter, milk products etc."

"It contains high amounts of Omega-3 and other unusual essential fatty
acids that have widespread therapeutic applications.

"And hemp fibre wool insulation gives four times better acoustic insulation
than fibreglass which makes it very good in highrise buildings and it will
be cost competitive.

"And there seems to be some evidence that fibreglass fibres can cause lung
conditions."

Mr Musgrave hoped to get approval for his trial crops in June and start
sowing in September.

He believed the expansion that would happen with hemp production would
benefit the South Canterbury economy immensely.