RICHARD BARGE
hemp good to grow! Saying ‘no to ‘drugs’ should not stop New Zealand experiencing fresh growth of what could be a key crop for the Twenty-first Century. Recently, JON RAWLINSON spoke with former Flat Bush local, Richard Barge, about how hemp could well serve to satisfy a growing need for ‘weed’.
Although industrial hemp is not grown for psychotropic or even medicinal purposes, its fate has long been tied (with red tape) to cannabis. In the 1930s, media mogul William Randolph Hearst launched the first salvos in a ‘war on drugs’ – the fact that his family had major interests in the timber industry, and that hemp makes great paper, is considered a coincidence by some and the basis of a conspiracy by others.
encourages diversification in the primary industries: sustainability and added value.
Today, the hemp industry still has a love/hate relationship with governments. It now ticks boxes government is keen to fill, as it
In New Zealand, the plant can be grown for seed, fibre and horticultural purposes, however, regulations remain.
10 | eastlife | february 2022
“With a growing demand from consumers in sustainable products and the Government’s interest in [protecting] the environment, things are changing. It’s an exciting time for the industry due to demand and interest in diversification,” says Richard Barge from the NZ Hemp Industries Association (NZHIA).
“The Ministry of Health continues to treat us as though we’re producing a drug, Richard says. “It’s very frustrating. It comes down to the single molecule argument – if there’s even just one molecule of THC in hemp, then it can be treated as a drug. “No one can measure zero molecules, let alone guarantee it, so it’s a nonsense. I think we’ll look back and say: ‘what was all the fuss about?’” From its fibre (stalks, leaves and roots) to its seeds, hemp is a versatile crop. As its fibre can filter
out UV light and has antifungal, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antistatic properties, it is becoming an attractive material for manufacturers worldwide. “What can’t it do?” Richard laughs. “Hemp can meet a range of needs, it can feed, house and clothe people. It can be used in biofuel, made into clothing that doesn’t wear out [as fast as other materials], paper, [a substitute for] carbon fibre, and cladding and insulation for construction. “Rudolf Diesel [inventor of the diesel engine] designed his cars to run www.eastlife.co.nz
