PRIMARY Industries Minister Jeremy Rockliff has told Budget Estimates of the "enormous potential" of growing hemp as a food, while warning of the "limited opportunity" a medicinal cannabis trial presents.
Mr Rockliff said the government strongly supported the expansion of industrial hemp and was focused on reducing regulatory obstacles to its growth.
Jeremy Rockliff
Broadacre crops of hemp are not allowed to be sold as food, but the minister told the committee he expected advice by October on how to lift the restriction.
"The government fully supports the use of industrial hemp products in food as it would open up new markets for the industry and will continue to lobby strongly for federal approval," he said.
Mr Rockliff said while the industrial hemp industry had the state government's full support, it would be taking a "cautious and measured" approach to proposed cannabis trials.
He tabled a letter from Tasmanian poppy growers voicing concern about the trial's potential impact on their industry.
But Greens leader Kim Booth said the correspondence fell far short of formal departmental advice, and again argued the government's recent support of a trial was a "backflip" from its earlier "unfounded and baseless" opposition.
Mr Rockliff also told the committee given the confines and strict security surrounding a medicinal cannabis trial, any monetary or employment gains would be minimal.
"There are really only limited opportunities in an economic sense as a potential for medicinal cannabis," he said.
But Labor health spokeswoman Rebecca White said the value of a medicinal cannabis trial could not be measured by its economic value alone.
"Irrespective of how much money it will bring to the state, I think we have a responsibility to look at what medication we might provide that actually enhances somebody's quality of life," Ms White said.
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