Man claims minister ‘misled’ over hemp
Industrial Hemp pioneer Mack McIntosh believes the Medicines Control has misled the Minister of Agriculture in relation to changing cannabis sativa, or iHemp’s drug classification, and is being obstructive in the bid to get the plant taken off the illegal food list.
The laws allowing hulled hemp seed-based food to be produced under licence, sold and consumed in New Zealand came into effect on Monday.
However, hemp flowers and leaves, with low levels of the psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), will remain illegal in New Zealand food, under the Health Ministry’s Medicines Control and Medsafe rules.
It is a situation that McIntosh, a Catlins iHemp farmer and New Zealand Industrial Hemp Association founding member, said he found frustrating, because he thought suggested tweaks to the legislation for hemp products had been worked through with the various ministers during the hemp seed law change.
But these suggestions were ignored, and he was calling for an inquiry, he said.
In a letter to Agricultural Minister Damien O’Connor, McIntosh says the new food law has been ‘‘a great leap backwards’’ for the industry and has ‘‘red flags all over it’’.
‘‘It appears you yourself have been misled by Medicines Control.’’
McIntosh says iHemp should have been made exempt from the Misuse of Drugs Act because its THC level of less than 0.35 per cent means the legislation is no longer required.
Chris James, the group manager of Medsafe, a business unit of the Health Ministry, in a statement yesterday, said industrial hemp was defined as a cannabis plant, seed, or fruit where the THC content of the plant is 0.35 per cent or less.
Approved cultivars of hemp have not been taken off the drugs list and are approved pursuant to the industrial hemp regulations.
The Misuse of Drugs (Industrial Hemp) Regulations 2006 had been updated to allow low-THC seeds to be grown, manufactured and sold as food products.
He says the Ministry ‘‘is supportive of the Industrial Hemp sector’’ and that the amended regulations open a new pathway for hemp seed to be used in food.’’
He refuted a suggestion by McIntosh that the Ministry had been obstructive and was ‘‘making up rules as they go’’ regarding the requirement for cannabidiol or CBD tests.
‘‘We have previously confirmed with Mr McIntosh in our regular meetings the assertion that ESR (Institute of Environmental Science and Research) is required to report to Medsafe licensees requesting CBD tests, is incorrect . . . we do, however, require regular testing for THC levels in industrial hemp crops, in accordance with the Regulations.
‘‘It is important to note that applications for licensing are considered on a case by case basis, and further information may be requested from an applicant or licensee as required.’’
A disgruntled McIntosh said he had had stepped back from the Ministry’s senior officials working group and tendered his resignation as New Zealand Industrial Hemp Association chairman.
In his letter to O’Connor, McIntosh says Medicines Control along with Medsafe should be removed ‘‘from the equation’’ and iHemp moved out of its control into the Ministry for Primary Industries.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for O’Connor said the reason leaves and flowers had not been included with the seeds in the food policy work was because industry did not ask for it when the application was submitted to Food Standards Australia New Zealand in 1998.