Hemp industry veterans open letter to Jacinda Ardern

Call by 31 year retired veteran of the industrial hemp industry for the Prime Minister to initiate an inquiry into the activities of MOH Medicine’s control and the Industrial Hemp Licencing Authority.

Original member inter-agency working group on the cultivation of cannabis for industrial purposes 29 years chair NZ Hemp Industries association (retired) et al. Some refer to me as: The Godfather of Hemp in NZ, only others know if this is a truism.

Dear Prime minister Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern.

I write to you in desperation knowing a simple call from one of your staff seeking clarification re how are the Misuse Of Drugs Industrial Hemp 2006 regulations are working and has industry any complaints in this regard; may well be enough to get the regulations enabled which currently in the writers view they are not. I often state “ Im no expert! But here’s what I think I know.”

1. On many occasions the IHLA have made decisions which they have vigorously defended yet a few years later that requirement no longer exists but is on record.
2. Industry requires certainty and confidence in the system/process to develop due to kiwi innovation and enterprise. This is not the situation today.
3. Further many issues/products that were ok are now no longer so.
4. There’s a regulatory oversight unresolved being CBD being removed from MODA and placed directly in the Medicines Act so it remains a controlled drug for no valid reason, and no consultation with industry. (please see attached affidavits)
5. There are so many of these “opinions” by the MOH and or IHLA that in my view not only is the industry disabled, its slowly being strangled to death.
6. I have a large amount of these as do many others involved that clearly indicate severe contradictions within the ministry and many 180 degree turn arounds re those opinions’
7. I have repeatedly called on the Minister of Health to deal with theses issues who of course goes directly to officials the complaint is re who to date have assured him everything is fine. I say it is far from that assertion.
8. Further I have sought assistance from the minister of Agriculture who I first met at an ihemp meeting in Nelson around 1996.
9. Therefore I seek your assistance busy though I know you are at getting all the value out of the ihemp industry possible and investigating through your staff if the IHLA are acting in the public interest, in line with the regulations and lawfully.
10. In my view its that bad now that an inquiry is required.

Many thanks Health Energy Humour

Stay Cool D J (Mack) Mcintosh