1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: Now the government slashing red tapers around the once controversial 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: hemp industry, farmers will no longer need a license for 3 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: crops with less than one percent THHC. They still have 4 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:11,320 Speaker 1: to notify the cops though, so the police know it's 5 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:14,079 Speaker 1: not marijuana that's been grown, just hemp. Richard Barge is 6 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: the president of the New Zealand Hemp Industries Association and 7 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:17,959 Speaker 1: with us morning Richard. 8 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 2: Good morning, heither. Thank you for the opportunity. 9 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 1: It's good to talk to you. How is it that 10 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: hemp has ended up being so regulated given it's not 11 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:26,440 Speaker 1: actually marijuana. 12 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 2: It's due to the fact that we're part of the 13 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 2: Misuse of Drugs Act nineteen seventy five, and so all 14 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 2: parts of the cannabis plant are considered a class SED drug. 15 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 2: So when they created the two thousand and six regulations, 16 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 2: they carved out and defined industrial hemp as being between 17 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:46,479 Speaker 2: point three to five and point five percent phc. So 18 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 2: now we have a definition of what industrial hempers. 19 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: Okay, So it was basically us just getting really really 20 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: anxious about wheed and not understanding the difference. 21 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you know, there's been a long 22 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 2: time when prohibition has led to the out of marijuana 23 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 2: and that stopped the hemp industry and it's tracks in 24 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 2: nineteen thirty, so it's great to have it back again. Yeah. 25 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: Now the changes that we're announced yesterday, do they go 26 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: far enough for you? 27 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 2: Well, they're really good news for the growing for the 28 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 2: growers and the people that are actually going to produce 29 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 2: the raw materials that industry is going to for using. 30 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 2: So the supply chain is going to be well enhanced. 31 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 2: And it leads to the question that we've always had. 32 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 2: You know, the farmers are going to say, who am 33 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 2: I going to sell it to? And how much am 34 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 2: I going to make? So the next step is to 35 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 2: get the value chain established. 36 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: What are we actually using it for? I mean, I 37 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 1: know that we use it for clothing and stuff like that, 38 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: but anything else. 39 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 2: Well, the mainstay of the New Zealand industry actually at 40 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 2: the moment is seed. In twenty eighteen, we finally got 41 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 2: it across the life for human consumption, but unfortunately at 42 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 2: the time we lost the ability to sell the co 43 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 2: products to the animal markets, which means, you know, it's 44 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 2: hard to get the economics working when you don't have 45 00:01:55,200 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 2: a way of selling those co products and making revenue 46 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 2: from the all parts of the plant, which is what 47 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 2: we're after, full plant utilization. 48 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: What are you eating it for? 49 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 2: For the central fairy acids. It's got a perfect ratio 50 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 2: of a Mega three and six and also a massive 51 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 2: amount of protein and there's dietary fiber in there as well. 52 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: Who knew, Richard, Thanks very much, appreciate it. Richard Barge, 53 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 1: President of New Zealand Hemp Industries Association. I was reading 54 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,800 Speaker 1: somewhere as well. It's fantastic for anxiety. I don't know. 55 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: Just think about the woman. I'm gonna get us so 56 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: much trouble for saying, think about the woman in your life. 57 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: Buy her some hemp this Christmas and make her eat it, 58 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: and look, Christmas might be a little bit more pleasant. 59 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 1: Will it do anything for my adrenal fatigue? Yep, yeah, yeah, 60 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: it'll do something for your fake news adrenal fatigue. Lord above. 61 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 62 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 1: news Talks it'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 63 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.