A Brief History of Hemp in NZ

All the available literature leads the writer to believe that Hemp can & should be described to a large extent as the cradle of civilization. A stone age village unearthed on the island of Taiwan over 10,000 years old, contains the earliest evidence of Hemp to date.

Although the Chinese were probably the first to domesticate and use hemp extensively, the most noted euphoric users were the Hindu's & Scythians. The Atharva-Veda (1400 B.C.) refers to its usage. The Scythians, who roamed the Asian continent and ruled ancient Russia during the days of the GREEKS, used Hemp for utilitarian & euphoric purposes. They were among the finest craftspeople, artists and warriors the world has ever known. (Jack Frazier/The Great American Hemp Industry)

China appears to have the longest continuous history of Hemp cultivation (over 6000 years) interestingly they are also attributed with having invented paper. France has cultivated Hemp for at least 500 years to the present day. Spain and Chile similarly. Russia was a major grower/supplier for hundreds of years.


The Southern Colonies

It is difficult if not impossible to ascertain when Hemp first appeared in NZ, but without doubt it was part of Able Tasman's ships inventory, it is unclear if any seeds were traded or left with the Natives of NZ at the time, but is likely if unconfirmed. Captain James Cook certainly had Hemp Seed on board Endeavor but no records of whether it was planted or traded anywhere in NZ.

Sir Joseph Banks & Admiral Sir George young were in the late 1770's enamoured with the concept of creating colonies in the southern islands (Australia & New Zealand) on the basis of reducing the British Empires dependence on Russian Hemp.

Britain's seapower was based on adequate supplies of both timber & hemp. To outfit a naval vessel of the day required 80 tons of Hemp per ship. This equates to approximately 350 acres of hemp to produce a complete ships outfitting, refits of all hempen components took place every 3 to 4 years. The French were also dependant on Russian Hemp & in 1785 sent Le Prouse on an expedition with instructions to bring back samples of NZ

HEMP phornium tenax (flax) which was prized by the British. 1778 - 1820's saw much interest & instructions from Britain including the King to the colonies to supply Britain with both NZ Hemp phornium tenax & traditional Hemp Cannabis Sativa.

Those wishing to suppress uncomfortable truths regarding Hemp have managed to date to suppress the most uncomfortable truth of all, that is: New Zealand & Australian colonies began, at least in part and intent as Hemp colonies. In 1892 HempSeed imported to the colonies was distributed to over 600 farmers in Australia and to a lessor extent, New Zealand. For reasons that remain unclear Hemp did not become a major part of the colonies development, however some of the evidence remains. (1960's Australian Hunter Valley discoveries [sic] of huge wild tracts of Cannabis Sativa L (Hemp). There were abortive attempts to start a Hemp colony on Norfolk Island during most of the 1800's.

Mother Aubert, grew Hemp at Jerusalem (near Wanganui) as part of her pharmacopoeia from 1883 on. Anecdotal reports suggest that Industrial Hemp was grown in most parts of NZ including Ruapuke Island in Foveaux Strait. (Below 45 south with what could be described as an inhospitable climate) Until the introduction of the DANGEROUS DRUGS & POISONS REGULATIONS 1927 chemists could sell Indian Hemp to anyone in NZ.

Gazetted in 1928 Ind Hemp was included simply to control the importation for pharmacopoeia, no other controls or taxes were imposed at this time. In 1941 the DSIR grew 1 ha of Hungarian Hemp in the central North Island. Shortly thereafter MAF trialled 4ha near Foxton & reported. "It grew magnificently & fibre yield was excellent." (Today MAF are unable/willing to provide any information regarding these trials, the trials were at the urgings of the United States government.) Trials stopped abruptly in 1948 when they were told that it was Indian Hemp from which hashish was made.

The law was changed after the acquittal of an Aro St truck driver on cannabis possession charges in 1960 when the magistrate discovered there was nothing in the 1927 Dangerous Drugs & Poisons Regulations that made it an offence to possess or cultivate drugs with the exception of Opium. Within several months an order in council changed that & made it illegal to possess or cultivate cannabis. It also outlawed HempSeed in birdfeed & veterinary supplies.

This became part of the misuse of drugs act 1961.now Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. Effectively Cannabis possession & cultivation was not legally outlawed until 1961. (Coincidentally the same year the USA pushed the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961, through.) It would only require an order in council to facilitate Industrial Hemp production & it still leaves the question of section 28.2 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961 (interestingly the first words of which are:"Concerned with the health and welfare of mankind!") which states. This convention shall not apply to the cultivation of the cannabis plant exclusively for industrial purposes (fibre and seed) or horticultural purposes.

The writer believes that it is not illegal to cultivate industrial hemp in NZ, ... however I'm not about to put it too the test without government sanction.


The Global Renaissance of Industrial Hemp

About 1990 there were limited news media items and some publications began running small stories of Industrial Hemp's renaissance throughout the western world.

There were isolated people interested in the possibilities of Industrial Hemp applications in NZ farming/manufacture and economy overall. As a broad statement their motivation more often than not was environmental in its philosophical base. It appears likely that these early-interested parties were not afraid of the association with marihuana, it is possible they were introduced to Industrial Hemp via that medium.

The global renaissance of Industrial Hemp was gaining momentum, suprisingly, given the nations almost complete dependence on primary produce, NZ wasn't even on the bus.


Hemp Products Arrive in NZ

A number of Hemp products business's began to appear during the early to mid 90's possibly the most notable being the HEMP TRADING COMPANY, based in Auckland, focusing in the main on textiles and the HEMPORIUM in the capital Wellington a hemp products retail outlet. Bryan Slight one of the few visionaries was attempting to excite people & business's around Tauranga & did inspire a few to produce Shampoo's & NZ wool & Hemp were combined to make woolen products such as jerseys by HEMPNITZ. By 1997 there were at least 15 "purist" Hemp companies registered in NZ and a large number of business's having some Hemp products available as part of their inventory albeit often in a sporadic manner, which reflects the ability of overseas manufacturers and suppliers to meet demand, possibly indicating the aging hippie status of some of the early HEMP revival manufacturers.

There was a significant increase in Rural NZ interest in Industrial Hemp during 96 & 97, culminating in late 1997 with the first Small business development grant to a Motueka group to investigate the job opportunity & economic viability of Industrial Hemp for the region.


Fact/Fiction???

There are anecdotal reports that Industrial Hemp has been grown recently around the Gisborne area, but inquiries to government agencies has provided no confirmation of this and it is difficult to believe it could be done without coming to the attention of both the authorities and the media. Possibly this was wishful thinking on behalf of some?


New Zealand Hemp Industries Association Incorporated

Predictably the areas showing the most interest re Industrial Hemp in NZ are also the areas with the most severely depressed rural economies, i.e. Southland, Motueka/Tasman, Canterbury & the Hawkes Bay. As a concept the NZHIA started in 1990 and operated on an informal basis from 1994. The NZHIA became an incorporated society in 1996. In 1997 the NZHIA is at the forefront of information distribution, liscencing applications & is politically proactive.

The NZHIA believes that Industrial Hemp has the overseas proven ability to completely revitalize NZ's ailing rural economy, create tens of thousands of sustainable jobs, provide an invaluable renewable resource & reverse the increasing environmental damage the nation is experiencing & also reverse the drift from Rural NZ to the cities thus losing forever real knowledge & understanding of rural NZ.

Also it is worthy of note that with the virtual collapse of communism & the eastern bloc's desire for hard currency, many are at least in part fulfilling this desire through Industrial Hemp & associated technology, such as Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, China, & others.

A question mark that keeps on arising from some politicians in 97 is the economic dependence in their electorate's on illegal cannabis crops, our response is why not transfer that dependence to a legal crop i.e. Industrial Hemp.

New Zealand is currently (Dec 97) losing out to Australia, we as a primarily dependant on primary produce Nation are allowing Australia to lead the way regarding Industrial Hemp in this area of the Pacific. The NZHIAI is of the view that we do so at our peril! Industrial Hemp will only become an economic & agricultural reality in NZ if there is a strong Rural demand for it. Fortunately from our perspective this is already occurring in a small way. It needs to be built upon to succeed. At the end of the day the primary producers will decide.


Respectability in 97 for Industrial Hemp

In early 97 the Musgrave family of Waihi bush, Geraldine, who are reintroducing Flax to the NZ agricultural scene, (David Musgrave was also VC of the bio gro council, they also have the only cold pressing for seed oil plant in NZ,) joined the NZHIA as they could see it complemented their operation and appeared to be in line with their personal philosophies. Ernest New of Ernest New Associates a consultancy firm in Invercargill, (Ernest is moderately famous in NZ for his nut farm located at Queenstown on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. He also advises councils on a multitude of issues.) is also very pro Hemp & a NZHIAI member. (Ernest is our oldest member well into his 70's and one of the more interesting human beings one could hope to meet; pity he isn't running the country.)

The Motueka Employment and Small Business Centre received the only NZ grant to date to assess the economic & employment opportunities IH may offer the district.

There were a number of positive press articles and the Health Ministry finally tabled its recommendations (unviewed at this time) to the Minister regarding the liscencing of Industrial Hemp. Increasing numbers of farmers are inquiring re IH & approaches have been made for research funding in Southland, Canterbury, Tasman & the Hawkes Bay.

13 (eek!) MP's responded positively to a NZHIAI Industrial Hemp survey, as have a few Mayors. In late 97 THE NZ FARMER ran a very positive article by an NZHIAI member Caroline Adams.


The future or INEVITABILITY! Opinion

The introduction of IH to the NZ rural scene & economy appears inevitable, particularly as 29 countries are already growing it including dear old mother England. (6000ac 1997.) So, it is no longer possible to dismiss Industrial Hemp as some ageing hippies dream scheme. However what is by no means certain is just where industrial hemp may fit within NZ's economy or what investment and R & D dollars it can attract. New Zealand should be an attractive proposition to overseas investors re Industrial Hemp due to its small size and single government agency to deal with i.e. it is easier to attract media attention & we only have 4 television channels so it is easy to reach the majority of the population. Also you only have to convince 3.8m people or a significant number thereof. The preceding coupled with the precedent set by funding for the Motueka research means that Government funding is a real possibility. (Although some bureaucrats & MP's are appalled that their sweet little agenda [no Industrial Hemp research etc at all until 98] has been usurped.)

At this stage all that can be said is that the signs are increasingly positive if frustrating.

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Published on: 2003-03-02 (4704 reads)