Hemp Farming Legalised

[BentchaiR]

i was watching GWN news today, and turns out the west australian government has just legalised hemp farming! go u tru blu aussie battlers. i can make a go of my career now!

[Luke Skywalker]

Thanks mate, I'll try and chase up a more detailed report from the west, I've been waiting for this announcement too.

[Luke Skywalker]

Just found this guys, it looks like it's going ahead.

 

WA Approves Commercial Hemp Trials

 

Commercial trials of industrial hemp will be allowed under licence in Western Australia ahead of legislation expected to be passed this year.

 

The Ministers for Agriculture, Health and Police have put a licence system in place which will pave the way for interested growers to apply for licences for commercial scale trials to cultivate hemp and plan for processing and marketing of fibre and seed products such as hemp oils.

 

Agriculture Minister Kim Chance said the system would also allow potential growers to fast-track the time required to source seeds including obtaining the necessary approval to import seeds into Australia and sowing.

 

"Applicants will need to meet conditions similar to those proposed in the Industrial Hemp Bill, which will be put to Parliament in early 2004," Mr Chance said.

 

"These include obtaining clearance from the Police Service and inspection of crops by authorised inspectors."

 

The Minister said the Industrial Hemp Bill was in the Legislative Council and had received bipartisan support from all political parties.

 

"However, in the unlikely event that the legislation is not passed, a condition of the proposed licences will be that crops can only be used for export purposes or otherwise destroyed," he said.

 

Mr Chance said there had been considerable interest in developing an industrial hemp industry in WA.

 

"These measures will enable genuine growers to start the process of evaluating hemps full potential as an alternative commercial crop," he said.

 

27 January, 2004

 

Copyright © 2004 Thomson's FindLaw Australia 

 

Also, I found this link to an ABC website, for Kimberley Radio in the North of WA. They had a story on the Hemp industry recently, and here's a link to that. Kimberley Hemp Story...

 

There's a link in there for a Real Audio file, which is the majority of the story. Have a listen, it's quite interesting, and shows just how much potential this industry has in Australia as a whole, not just WA.

[Guest]

Its just a trial. They have been trialling Hemp in Australia for decades. Sorry if I sound pessimistic but its hard to put a positive spin on this news when the usefulness of Hemp is already well documented and trials are a complete waste of time. It should be classed in the same category as cotton or wheat and not weighed down by copious quantities of red tape as it surely will be. Hemp was not initially banned with a totalitarian style prohibition but merely overtaxed. That was what killed the Hemp industry back in the 1930's when it was still the number one cash crop in America. I have a strong feeling these trials will be a failure. Licenses will be issued to growers in unsuitable regions with either the wrong soil type or insufficient annual rainfall. Even if it does prove viable the Government will tax it to death. Farmers are not interested in making a statement but making a profit just like any other primary industry worker. Trust me. The Government has no intention of seeing Hemp make a come back. Its all smoke and mirrors. Edited March 6, 2004 by Chong

[Luke Skywalker]

Yes, there have been previous trials. Yes, they were undertaken in the wrong places, at the wrong times. But if you listened to the radio link, you would have seen that there are already licenses in the pipeline, and there are growers in the Kimberley with contracts for supply signed.

 

I respectfully disagree. Hemp is back.

[Guest]

Sorry. I didn't listen to the radio show. My computer is really old. P2. If I listen really hard I can hear the Chipmunks inside banging away with chisels on the stone tablets. I did read your link and saw that some licenses were issued. I hope you are right Luke. I really do. I'm just cynical I guess. It will be very interesting to see what happens next. Perhaps it will become a successful industry like the Olives grown in the Darling Downs up here in Qld.

 

I recommend you guys get in very early if you plan to invest. The problem is that Hemp is just too easy to grow. Farmers are not stupid. They saw what happened to their fellow growers who invested in new practises such as Emu farming. In the beginning its huge but then everyone is doing it and the market is over stocked. The value plummets. If Hemp follows this trend then there will be a mad rush to get licenses but 5 years from now nobody will want to touch it. Then it will settle down. Those making the big profits will be those who got in early, built up a thriving crop and then sold up the whole business before the bubble burst. Those who survive the slump and are in it for the long haul will be tomorrows big Hemp producers. The good news for them is that most of the rest of the World still doesn't grow this biomass.

[Tom]

They ran some successful hemp trials in Tassie a few years back but for some reason nothing came of them, probably due to the miss-informed opposition from the ant-drug campaigners, I hope the WA gov doesn't end up putting it in the too hard basket too.

[Luke Skywalker]

And I just found this one through the cannatrade.ch news... although it does come by way of ABC somewhere... not sure where tho. Anyway, here's the rather short article.

 

Thursday, March 4, 2004

 

Industry praises hemp bill as major boost for retailers

 

Australia Broadcasting Corporation

 

A Western Australia hemp retailer has welcomed the passage of the industrial hemp bill through the State’s Parliament.

 

The legislation allows for the commercial cultivation and processing of industrial hemp under licence to make textiles and oil, and follows trials in the south-west of the State and the Kimberley.

 

The co-owner of the Margaret River Hemp Company, Georgina Wilkinson, says it will be a major boost for hemp retailers and could mean cheaper prices for consumers.

 

“We think it’s absolutely great. It’s been going on for a long time now and compared to other states here in Australia we’re actually a long way behind. So it’s quite good to actually catch up to everybody else,” she said.

 

“And we actually buy all our fabrics from overseas and get people to make it here in Australia. But obviously it would be a lot better if we could make it here in Australia ourselves.”

 

Greens MLC Christine Sharp says the industry has enormous potential if the Government does its part.

 

“Removing the legal impediment to the growing of hemp in Western Australia is great, but it is certainly not enough for us to have a successful hemp industry,” Ms Sharp said.

 

“And we now need a massive amount of research to find the right strains of hemp for growing in Western Australia.”

 

Copyright © 2004, Australia Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved.

 

[free choice]

HEMP IS GOOD ....! ..finally some fucking sensible action & the freeing up of a valuable resource crop .... those blinkered bastards holding teh reigns back ... should have had their heads bashed in with a spade long ago ... ignorant morons... I can't say enough about those self serving spineless politicians ....

 

just how many decades did it take for someone to see the light !...

 

MOVE ONWARDS & UPWARDS .... HUMANITY.

 

use those brains God gave you & use a bit of Heart in every decision you make that will effect our lives....then have the balls to follow it through....

[Guest Green]

hello all,

 

 

Hemp might be legalised but it sure isnt worth growing a small plot. I actually made the effort to get some more detail on it here in Victoria. From the DNRE or Dept of name changess. The bloke I spoke to was one of the most unhelpful people I have ever spoken too.

 

My conclusion was the red tape involved wasnt worth growing it. The main problem is in my opinion is the fact you must have an end product before you even start growing and the periodic checks that the dept of Name changes enforces.

 

Its ironic that they want you to have an end product when there is hardly any infrastructure for Hemp.

 

But the thing that makes it out of reach for a small plot is the checks. The Dept of Name changes charges outrageous prices for a chumnp to check to see if your crop is legit. I cant remember now what the cost was but it added up becuase they checked about 4 times in one growing season. On top of that they charge you there hourly rate from the moment the inspector leaves his office. So god forbid if you dont live close to their office.....

 

later