Hikurangi Establishes New Zealand’s First Legal
HIGH THC Cannabis Breeding Program
Hikurangi Cannabis Company has notched up another historic
milestone for the legal cannabis industry in New Zealand.
The company has imported a shipment of high THC cannabis seeds
as the basis of a long-term breeding program to develop optimal
varieties for patients with specific health conditions in New Zealand.
"The Ministry of Health has confirmed this is the first lawful
importation of high THC cannabis seeds cleared for supply direct to a
New Zealand company" said Dr Alvaro Vidiella, Technical Director for
Hikurangi Cannabis Company.
“We acknowledge many others have undertaken both Industrial
Hemp and illicit cannabis breeding programmes in Aotearoa over
many decades prior to this new initiative.”
Manu Caddie (CEO Hikurangi)
The seeds from nine different high THC and high CBD varieties will
be used to select lines for clinical research and the establishment of
New Zealand’s first legal cannabis genetics breeding program that
Hikurangi is establishing this year.
Having navigated the import pathway, Hikurangi will increase the
variability of their germplasm genetics databank through the addition
of more varieties from the main growing regions that will add to our
local New Zealand varieties.
“The government’s provision in legislation to enable access to
local plant genetics presents Hikurangi with a great opportunity to
strengthen their relationship with New Zealand breeders to identify,
assess and protect local strains” said Dr Vidiella. “This ultimately will
enable Hikurangi to offer the best possible selected varieties to New
Zealand farmers interested in getting a license and working with us.”
Manu Caddie, Hikurangi CEO said “New Zealand has an excellent
track record in horticultural breeding programs such as the success of
new cultivars seen in the kiwifruit and apple industries that deliver
superior quality and command a market premium - we intend to follow
a similar pathway with our cannabis breeding program.”
Dr Vidiella says "It has been a challenging process to identify a seed
supplier with adequate genetics that could meet the strict biosecurity
requirements of the Ministry for Primary Industries. While thousands
of cannabis seeds are imported illegally every year with no biosecurity
controls in place, the government requires very specific phytosanitary
certificates to be issued for imported seed by the National Plant
Protection Organisation in the country of origin to confirm the seeds
have been produced in a disease-free environment.
“We explored importing seeds from numerous international seed...
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