The
Australian Hemp Lobby was given a mixed result today, when Australian
State and Federal Health Ministers announced the legalisation of hemp
seed with no or very low THC levels as a food
for sale in Australia, but maintained the prohibition of the use of
other parts of the hemp plant as a food or supplement.
Ministers
met on Friday after receiving a recommendation from Food Standards
Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and the findings of a Swinburne University
of Technology study showing that the consumption
of low THC hemp seeds provided no risk to road safety.
Hemp
seed food producers must ensure that products made from or containing
hemp seed make no claims using the words, marijuana, cannabis,
cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD) or THC, or infer that
consumers can get high from their products or receive medicinal
cannabis style therapeutic benefits.
This
decision maintains Australia’s obligations under the United Nations
Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, and is consistent with Medicinal
Cannabis regulations, as hemp seed is specifically
exempted from the convention. CBD remains a Schedule 4, and THC a
Schedule 8
Narcotic in Australia and as such are prohibited to be sold as foods or nutritional supplements.
