*As a hemp grower you have legal obligations to notify the NZ police; obtain a licence from MoH to import or export hemp plants; comply with MPI import health standards if you are importing hemp seed; register with New Zealand Food Safety as a food business or importer if you are growing hemp for food, making food from hemp, selling hemp as food, or importing hemp as food; and comply with MPI requirements by registering any hemp products, including hemp waste, intended for use on animals or as animal feed.
EDUCATE:
New to the Industry?
Learn more about the 2026
regulation changes
Find more detailed information and guidance about the regulation
changes and what is required of growers moving forward
GROW:
The NZHIA Seed Project
We are working on a seed supply programme – with details to be released soon
Register your interest below
ADVOCATE:
A cause in your hands
The NZHIA hemp bag campaign
Our limited-edition tote bag, was created to raise awareness
for New Zealand’s growing iHemp industry.
Every purchase helps fund education, advocacy, and the next step —
creating a 100% compostable hemp bag made in Aotearoa NZ.
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Growing Hemp in New Zealand:
What does it take and who can do it?
FAQ: Is Hemp Marijuana? – Can you get high from smoking hemp?
Short answer: No (Same family, different cultivars).
They both come from the same plant species, but from out of 600 known cultivars, marijuana has been selectively bred to have high THC content, while industrial hemp naturally contains much less than 1% THC. (Marijuana needs 3-18% THC to have any effect on humans.) Click here for more info about the two plants.
Latest News & Media Updates:
General Updates:
Legislation Updates:
“Whatever can be made with hydrocarbons can be made with carbohydrates” – Henry Ford
Industrial hemp is an ideal crop, producing enormous volumes of high quality biomass in a short growing cycle.