Independents push to legalise industrial hemp for consumption in Australia

By James Jooste
Source: abc.net.au


PHOTO: Australian retailers are frustrated by the wait to legalise industrial hemp for consumption (James Jooste)

A bakery in central Victoria has reignited debate over illegal hemp consumption, saying it wants to put hemp seeds in its bread.

Foods Standards Australia and New Zealand says it's safe to include hemp in food, but legislation currently bans it.  

Mr Bertalli says hemp is too good a product to be left on parliamentary shelves.

Andrew Bertalli is managing director of Alpine Breads, at Benalla, which supplies major supermarkets and health food stores with 'healthy choice' bread.

“It’s a brilliant seed and grain.

Hemp’s got a bit of a dirty name but once you look into it and realise there is industrial hemp out there with very, very low TCH’s, it’s a brilliant seed and grain.

Managing Director Alpine Breads, Andrew Bertalli

“It's high protein, it’s high in omega 3, 6 and 9, which is perfectly designed for the human body.”

Industrial hemp also contains low levels of THC, the psychoactive property also found in the illegal drug marijuana.

Mr Bertalli says people don’t understand the health benefits of industrial hemp because of the confusion caused with the illicit drug.

“Hemp’s got a bit of a dirty name, but once you look into it and realise there is industrial hemp out there with very, very low TCHs, it’s a brilliant seed and grain.”

Federal independents Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan are trying to overturn the current ban.

Member for Indi, Cathy McGowan, says laws around edible hemp products are out of touch with public opinion and global food standards.

AUDIO: rural-vic-hemp-law-2508 (ABC News)

“Currently you are not able to use it (hemp) for food in Australia and New Zealand and we’re the only two developed companies where this is not the case.

“To me, it’s very much a bureaucratic issue. It’s got stuck in the system and we just need it shaken around and moved through.”

Mr Bertalli says industrial hemp has enormous potential as an agricultural crop, but frustrated farmers are losing interest.

“If we can’t get the Australian market going, we run the risk of losing some of those producers overseas, because most of their business is export.

"So it makes sense for them to put their manufacturing business where their exports are.”