The farming communities of regional NSW, especially in the Griffith area and the northern rivers region near Nimbin, were celebrating this week when the Iemma Government introduced the Hemp Industry Bill.
Without the usual spin doctor’s fanfare, the legislation was slipped unannounced into the NSW Parliament by a junior parliamentary secretary.
Steve Whan, MP for the Queanbeyan-based seat of Monaro on the ACT, introduced the bill on behalf of Emergency Services and Water Minister Nathan Rees, MP for Toongabbie in outer western Sydney. What commercial hemp growing has to do with emergency services and/or water wasn’t immediately obvious.
Why wasn’t it moved by the Health Minister Reba Meagher, MP for Cabramatta, or the Police Minister David Campbell, MP for Keira, whose departments have been intimately involved in the bill’s drafting? No explanation was offered.
Whan told the almost deserted chamber:
This bill establishes a licensing scheme for the commercial production of industrial hemp in NSW. It will bring NSW into line with other States, such as Queensland and Victoria. It will allow farmers in NSW of good repute to grow this crop which has so many exciting applications: from building blocks to paper production. It is now time to remove the prohibition on the commercial production of industrial hemp in this State.
The timing of the Bill’s presentation is what’s important. Farm production of hemp is a long-standing demand of the NSW Greens who have four MPs in the upper house — Lee Rhiannon, Ian Cohen, Sylvia Hale and Dr John Kaye.
Greens preferences helped push the ALP over the line in marginal seats at the state election in March 2007 and they play a critical role in supporting Labor’s legislative program in the upper house, with the notable exception of privatising electricity.
The Greens deny any grubby deal with the Labor Party on legalising hemp farming but government sources point out that it was on the Greens’ “wish list” during pre-election preference negotiations.
The legislation gives sweeping powers to the Director-General of the Department of Primary Industries to administer the licence scheme.
The DG will receive all applications and can grant licences for up to five years. Only people of “good repute” will qualify and those with criminal records will be disqualified.
Whan added: “The bill will remove the current power of the Director-General of NSW Health to issue authorities for research trials of industrial hemp. This responsibility will be transferred to the Director-General of the Department of Primary Industries.”
What law enforcement agency will supervise the lawful crop-growing? Whan explained: “Police officers and inspectors appointed under the new legislation will have a range of powers to ensure that they can act quickly and decisively in response to breaches.”
So Australia’s finest and specially chosen inspectors from the Department of Primary Industries, that bastion of efficiency and tough discipline over illegal behaviour in the rural sector, will be the custodians of legal hemp production. Am I the only one that smells a roach in all this?
Mmm. Actually not a roach but keep up the vocational scepticism AM, in my humble opinion. This is what I would suggest: Do a google of long standing crusader for drug free, low THC, industrial hemp for all kinds of agri returns from oil to bio plastics to amazingly long life paper and fibre for clothing materials. In other words it’s a wonder crop totally distinct from drug sub species or cultivars (not sure the jargon): Dr Andrew Katelaris (medical guy) in SDT recently too, has a 3 year good behaviour bond and conviction for planting 50K plants – not secretly, brazenly to force I presume legal reform of the agri crop competing with the fossil fuel industry (eg plastics). Interestingly Dr K, who really ought write it up for crikey.com.au, is now on a contempt charge for back chatting the court. But we have met the guy and he’s been on this hobby horse for a decade plus. And he’s right on agri crop merits. The Nats will lap it up as a cash crop for sure. The drug aspect is debunked.
Hey, Alex, there’s this thing called global warming and petrol prices are levitating and old growth forests are dwindling – and you quibble about one decision that could be good for the economy and address all these issues. If this decision had been made thirty years ago, there’s be no need for the pulp mill in Tasmania, we’d have a fighting chance of clothing ourselves, we could replace nylon ropes and synthetic fabrics, make paper responsibly and even, one day, have a moderately good analgesic for a song. The real opponents to hemp growing are the timber, pharmaceutical, alcohol and cigarette industries, to name a few.
Harry Anslinger, who led the anti-marihuana campaign in Washington for 25 years, was DuPont’s son-in-law. He must be posthumously turning in his grave, even if the hemp is THC free. Congratulations to the Greens and to Dr Katelaris.
Hi Alex
Industrial hemp is virtually zero THC – meaning the only headspin you’ll get from smoking it is from a lack of oxygen. It is a very robust plant, needing very little in the way of water, fertiliser and pesticides. It also grows rapidly in summer. This is the almost perfect crop for the struggling grain farmers of the Murray Darling. It is a superior product to cotton in so many ways. Modern processing can now produce an extremely breathable, soft, comfortable fabric with up to 8 times the tensile strength and 4 times the durability of coton, without the need for pesticides and copious quantities of water. It is everything that cotton is not. The plant can also be processed into a multitude of uses, including cosmetics, building products, bio-plastics and bio-fuel.
People may say it makes it easy to hide high THC marijuana amongst the crop. But that would be the last place a crim would plant his pot. The crop would come under far more scrutiny than say, an isolated bush property or even a suburban house.
“Grubby deal” was a poor choice of words. Politics is full of what you call grubby deals. It’s also called “compromise”, and even “common sense”. This was a victory FOR common sense and AGAINST kneejerk, populist, ignorant policies.
Industrial hemp’s time has come. It’s a pity it’s taken a drought and people being jailed to highlight the absurdity of the law.