DAF alert to hemp farm boss

A GOLD COAST co-founder of a new multi-million-dollar NSW indoor hemp farm pulled out of showcasing their first crop at a Brisbane expo due to warnings of a police raid.

Hemp Field’s co-owner Arthur Ways, an ex-mortgage broker, had wanted to exhibit plants from the start-up operation – just south of the city’s Queensland/NSW border – at the Hemp Health and Innovation Expo in October.

But Mr Ways – whose business partners include Oscar Oscar Salons mogul Oscar Cullinan – decided against it when a Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) official warned him police would be alerted.

In emails with DAF Biosecurity Queensland senior officer Jamie Milne about whether it was possible, Mr Milne’s advice on “possession of industrial cannabis in Queensland” points out that while Mr Ways plants were under the legal pscyhoactive THC concentration of one per cent, he could still be breaking the law bringing them interstate.

“In the case of your proposal to publicly display cannabis plants at the Brisbane HHI Expo, it is my understanding you do not have the appropriate authorisation.

“In the case where we become aware of an alleged unauthorised activity, it will be reported to the Queensland Police Service for investigation,” Mr Milne writes.

Mr Ways’ response thanks him for the “heads up about a potential issue”.

Mr Ways told the Bulletin he decided against showcasing the plants and instead just displayed the range of products for sale from Hemp Fields’ associated entity Hemp Pet.

Hemp Fields have invested $3 million in the farm so far, with a first outdoor crop for harvest in coming months.