Pubdate: Sun, 24 Feb 2002
Source: Sunday Times (Australia)
Copyright: 2002 Times Newspapers Ltd
Contact:  http://www.sundaytimes.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/438
Author: Joanne McCulloch
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?330 (Hemp - Outside U.S.)

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.
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MAP posted-by: Josh