Cops sorry after razing legal hemp

Police have apologised after mistakenly ripping out a legal cannabis crop and have promised the owner they will pay him back.

Willie Kaa, a licensed hemp grower who lives in Ruatoria on the East Coast, is part of a collective of growers working with Hikurangi Hemp to develop medical cannabis products from industrial hemp plantations.

Kaa recently planted 16 hemp cultivars as a trial on Rangitukia Station after applying for an industrial hemp licence from Medicines Control at the Ministry of Health.

According to a statement from Hikurangi Hemp, Kaa also arranged for local police to inspect the site.

But on Tuesday, a police drug squad from outside the area raided the property, taking all 16 plants, the statement said.

Police confirmed they had ripped out the plants in error.

“As part of efforts to target the people who supply drugs to communities in the Eastern District, 16 legitimate hemp plants were accidentally seized by police,” Detective Senior Sergeant Brenton Greville said in a statement. “We have apologised to the owner, who has been understanding of the police error and will be reimbursed.”

Hikurangi Hemp spokesman Manu Caddie said it was “very concerning”.

“We are trying to develop a new industry with a huge amount of regulatory hurdles, technical challenges and financial barriers – the last thing legitimate growers need is this kind of cavalier fly-boy approach by a small group of public servants who are supposed to enforce the law, not break it.”