12 Investor Report Industrial Hemp Sector New Zealand ’ s New Export Opportunity 2020
Hemp and Cannabinoids
There are two remarkable scientific discoveries which underscore the value of the hemp plant .
The first is that the human body contains an Endocannabinoid System ( ECS ) - which is a central component of the health and healing of every human , and most animals . The ECS is responsible for making adjustments to maintain homeostatic balance , in many processes in the body including the immune system , mood , appetite , sleep , stress , chronic pain and inflammation . Once activated it synthesises cannabinoids which are chemical compounds that act as neurotransmitters to transmit information about the problem and kickstart corrective responses .
The second discovery is that the hemp plant contains more than 140 cannabinoids which can connect with the human ECS . This means that we can consume particular cannabinoids in the plant to help our own ECS in its role of maintaining balance . The re-legalisation of hemp has unleashed a spate of research funding of scientific studies to uncover the secrets of ‘ which cannabinoids can affect which health problems ’ – including CBDA , CBG , CBN , CBC , and CBDV .
Nutraceuticals compared with medicines
The cannabinoids in the hemp plant can be extracted either as an ingredient for a pharmaceutical ( Medicinal Cannabis ), or for a nutraceutrical ( Natural Health Product ). A key distinction is that psychoactive THC ( from marijuana ) is legal in a medicinal formulation .
The NZ Medicinal Cannabis sector comprises around 15 companies which are part of the Pharmaceutical industry and extract from both hemp and marijuana .
The 10 Hemp companies can process the hemp plant , but only for the hulled seeds and fibre , not the cannabinoids . They need to be considered as part of the $ 2.5 billion NZ Natural Health Products sector comprising over 130 companies which manufacture plant extracts from a multitude of plants and fruit .