NZ Hemp Industry Milestones - New Zealand Hemp Industries Association

September 1990 – NZHIA formation.
1994 National Government place Moratorium on the issuing of licences to grow industrial hemp.
September 1997 – Release of COMMERCIAL CULTIVATION OF CANNABIS SATIVA FOR PRODUCTION OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP, LEGISLATIVE AND SECURITY ASPECTS OF RECENT AUSTRALIAN TRIALS, Dr G R Boyd, Chief Advisor, Regulation and Safety, Ministry of Health, New Zealand September 1997
September 1997 – NZHIA formally incorporated.
October 1997 – The Motueka report is published. (Funded by CEG. Community Employment Group)
1998 – NZHIA publish “The 5 Minute Guide to Industrial Hemp in New Zealand.”
November 1999 – “Industrial Hemp and its Potential for New Zealand” by Charles N Merfield. Lincoln University, report published.
20 June 2000 – The moratorium imposed on the issuing of licences to grow industrial hemp by the National government in 1994 was lifted on the 20th June 2000.
21 August 2000 – NZHIA members met with the Government for the first time, as part of the “Inter-Agency Meeting on Cultivation of Industrial Hemp.” Sub committee.
7 December 2000 – In essence, the Sub Committee’s recommendations are: “that the emphasis should change to one whereby any organization that can meet the licencing, security and other requirements, including funding the trials, should be allowed to make submissions and become licensed to trial industrial hemp.
27 April 2001 – Minister of Health announces they will accept applications for a license to grow industrial hemp.
2 May 2001 – Misuse of Drugs (Industrial Hemp) Amendment bill, raised by Nandor Tanczos, is referred to the Primary Production Committee, who decide not to proceed, as they considered the bill had achieved its purpose by acting as a catalyst for the trial and formation of a regulatory regime.
3 September 2001 – Medsafe issue 11 Licences to grow industrial hemp and 1 licence to deal.
15 September 2001 – First 20kg of Hungarian seedstock arrives in New Zealand and clears customs on 23 September.
13 October 2001 – At 1.00pm in Palmerston North, Axl McIntosh plants first legal hempseeds to be grown in decades in New Zealand.
October – November 2001 – 9 trial crops planted between latitudes 40 and 44.5 degrees South
26 January – 7 February 2002 – NZHIA crop tour.
February-March 2002 – First Industrial Hemp THC testing takes place.
March-April 2002 – All crops are harvested.
April 2002 – ANZFA (Australia New Zealand Food Authority) produce their final assessment on “Use of Industrial Hemp as a Novel Food” latter that year the authority ignores these recommendations and unanimously rejects the application (9 Australian votes and 1 New Zealand vote) making hemp foods illegal in Australia and New Zealand.
September 2002 – Dr M A Nichols appointed NZHIA Research Team Leader.
20 December 2002 – New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) issue the Food (Safety) Regulations 2002 to allow the continued sale of hemp seed oil in New Zealand.
December 2002 – Funding for ECIHEMP (Empowering Communities with Industrial Hemp Project.)
December 2002 – ECIHemp assists plantings in 11 locations nationwide including Massey University.
December 2002 – Steve Cutler commences replicated trials on four sites in South Island, 6 cultivar, 3 densities on behalf of David Musgrave.
April 2003 – Minister of Health extends Industrial Hemp trials for a further 12 months.
December 2003 – Forest Research shows interest in hemp fiber.
December 2003 – Hemp Regulatory Framework Consultation with industry.
March 2004 – First NZ Generic Cultivar announced – Aotearoa 1.
April 2004 – Hemp production in Aotearoa published in Journal of the International Hemp Association. (Peer reviewed.)
May 2004 – Government extends legislation/consultation time frame to 1st January 2005 and extends trials until that date.
July 2004 – Aotearoa Industrial Hemp Development Trust formed by the NZHIA.
2005 – Industrial hemp trial ends.
October 2005 – Australia New Zealand Food Regulation ministerial Council (ANZFRMC) again ignore the A360 recommendations and maintain the prohibition of hemp seed foods, the vote was 4 for, and 5 against, with the major concern continuing to be that condoning hemp seed food would send mixed messages to children.
1 August 2006 – The Misuse of Drugs (Industrial Hemp) Regulations 2006 are enacted to issue licences for the Legal cultivation of industrial hemp.
Feb 2007 – Midland seeds open day, showing the progress made with hemp seed crops.
March 2011- FSANZ (Food Safety Australia New Zealand) release a consultation paper on application A1039 – Low THC hemp as a food.
October 2012 – FSANZ approved the draft variation required by A1039.
7 December 2012 – The forum voting on A1039 asks for a review of the draft variation, this review has been pushed out repeatedly and FSANZ are now expected to respond with their recommendation by 5 December 2014, so the Forum can vote on the application early in 2015
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