THE BIZ: WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD OF BUSINESS COSTS, NANDOR

One of the hemp industry's staunchest supporters is ... umm ...
fuming.

"Rampant bureaucracy threatens to suffocate NZ hemp," thundered a
press release from Green MP Nandor Tanczos last week.

Medsafe, an agency which is responsible for the safety of medicines,
has been put in charge of developing a framework for the industry. It
is proposing an increase in the fee for a hemp licence from $11.25 to
$550, and regular crop testing at $300 a time.

Hemp Industry Association research team leader Dr Mike Nichols says:
"They are treating it as if it is an illicit drug and not an
agricultural crop," he said.

Strict regulations, higher fees ... sounds like the norm for any
business.