whole or in part from industrial hemp , including a hemp seed food product )
• Hulled hemp seeds and
• Stalks of industrial hemp ( limited to stalks which do not have leaves or fruit ).
Hemp seed food products can be produced from hemp seeds but must not be produced from any other part of the plant , including flowers , buds or leaves .
The amendment also allows importation and exportation of these same products .
Hemp seed and oil products for consumption must also meet the requirements of the Food Act 2014 , to ensure that the products are safe to eat .
New Zealand industrial hemp growers and hemp companies are allowed to : 1 . Grow industrial hemp which meets the THC maximum levels under the 2006 regulation ( under licence );
2 . Procure nonapproved cultivars for cultivation , breeding and research purposes only , under licence .
3 . Import ( but not sell ) whole hemp seeds ( not hulled / viable ) under licence and with mandatory customs declaration indicating that the importer has a permit to import a controlled drug , and
Investor Report Industrial Hemp Sector New Zealand ’ s New Export Opportunity 2020
has the prerequisite phytosanitary documents ;
4 . Process and sell hemp product ( e . g . oil made from seed ), hulled hemp seeds and stalks of industrial hemp ; ( under licence ) 5 . Import and export hemp products as defined in the regulations , including hulled hemp seeds or food containing hulled hemp seeds , without a licence . In relation to seeds the importer must make a mandatory customs declaration that the hulled seeds are not a controlled drug .
The 2018 Industrial Hemp amendment did not alter the prohibited status of foods infused with or containing cannabinoids such as THC or CBD , hemp oils other than oil derived from hemp seed , full spectrum hemp extract and other medicinal products .
Medicinal amendment An important step , and recognition of the therapeutic benefits of the cannabis plant , was a further amendment to the MODA , the Misuse of Drugs Act ( Medicinal Cannabis ) Amendment Act 2018 . This allows for the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes .
Subsequent regulations in 2019 , allow a New Zealand-based industry that can cultivate cannabis , and manufacture and supply medicinal products , which can then only be obtained by consumers with a doctor ’ s prescription . Quality standards and prescriber guidelines are covered by the regulations , which also allow the importation of medicines produced overseas .
Activities must be carried out in accordance with a Medical Cannabis Licence which is issued by the controlling body , the Medicinal Cannabis Agency .
A major barrier remains for the availability of medicinal cannabis to those who need it , namely the cost of medicines which typically do not qualify for Pharmac subsidies .
In order to facilitate the amendment allowing for a medicinal cannabis scheme , and in anticipation of the fact that such medicine was likely to contain not just THC but also CBD , a new definition was inserted into the MoDA .
In summary , the definition states that ‘ CBD Product ’ means a product that contains cannabidiol and either does not contain a specified substance under the MoDA or contains specified substances that are no more than 2 % of the cannabinoid content in the product .
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