Hemp innovation hub to be launched in Rotorua

By Samantha Olley
Source: nzherald.co.nz

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Hub launch on Saturday will be a "low THC event" focusing on the "correct uses for hemp

A hemp/cannabis education and innovation hub is to be launched in Rotorua.

Crash Palace backpackers owner Chris Woodney has a research and breeding licence for hemp in accordance with the Misuse of Drugs (Industrial Hemp) Regulations 2006.

He works with 12 New Zealand farmers who hold hemp licences and oversees around 15-20 hectares of hemp plantations with them that are harvested and used for making products including animal feed and balms, pellets for fires, fish burley, rope, fabrics and eco-plastics.

Woodney's hub launch on Saturday will be a "low THC event" focusing on the "correct uses for hemp".

"It will be a platform for members of the public to discuss and learn about industrial hemp setups," Woodney said.

As part of the hub at Crash Palace, Woodney planned to act as a consultant for potential farmers as they navigated obtaining a hemp licence and the rules around how the plant could and could not be used.

Speaking to the Rotorua Daily Post, Woodney described hemp as "cannabis designed for humans" because it was nutrient dense.

His focus was on the uses of dietary cannabis rather than medicinal cannabis, and he said it was a functional food that should be micro-dosed for health, not getting high.

"My belief is cannabis should never have really been smoked."




Chris Woodney with harvested hemp plants. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

He would like to see hemp hearts (seeds) used to feed kids at preschool age because they were a rich source of omega 3 and 6 fats, but current laws did not allow the hearts to be sold for human consumption in New Zealand.


Chris Woodney with hemp based products. PHOTO/BEN FRASER