FIELD OF DREAMS CLOSER FOR HEMP INDUSTRY

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.