Tasmanian Greens today welcomed the government’s undertaking to amend legislation to remove the shackles from the state’s industrial hemp industry, a reform for which they have long advocated.
“It is great news for local farmers and the state economy that finally the government intends to remove the roadblocks from the local hemp industry, in line with the position the Greens have long been on the public record advocating,” said Greens Leader and Primary Industries spokesperson Kim Booth MP..
“Minister Rockliff has been proceeding at the rate of a comatose snail in adopting the recommendations of the parliamentary committee, whose terms of reference were proposed by the Greens in the previous parliament.”
“Unfortunately it has taken nearly 12 months for this Minister to act on the unanimous recommendations of the parliamentary committee, handed down years ago.”
“We have been calling on the Minister to get agreement at COAG for Hemp oil to be allowed as a food product and Minister Rockliff should have secured support by now from the other states prior tomorrow’s meeting of Australian and New Zealand ministers.”
“The Greens will be watching closely any progress on recognition of industrial hemp oil as a food product, as further delays in realising the full potential of this industry would be unacceptable,” Mr Booth said.