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Misuse of Drugs (Industrial Hemp) Amendment Bill

Spokesperson: 
Green Party

Explanatory note

General policy statement

The purpose of this Bill is to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 to enable the economy of New Zealand to profit from the commercial cultivation and industrial use of hemp. Cannabis plants containing up to but not more than 0.3 per cent of tetrahydrocannabinols cannot be used as a drug or for the production of drugs, but are successfully used in many countries as a resource for industrial purposes.

Clause by clause analysis

Clause 1 relates to the title of the Bill.

Clause 2 provides that the Bill comes into force on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent.

Clause 3 inserts a new definition of "industrial hemp" into the principal Act, and excludes industrial hemp from the definition of "prohibited plant". These changes mean that any plant of the species Cannabis that contains up to but not more than 0.3 per cent of tetrahydrocannabinols will be regarded as industrial hemp and will no longer be a controlled drug.

Clause 4 consequentially amends the Second and Third Schedules of the principal Act to tidy up the items relating to cannabis.

Nandor Tanczos

Misuse of Drugs (Industrial Hemp) Amendment Bill

Member's Bill

The Parliament of New Zealand enacts as follows:

  1. Title
    (1) This Act is the Misuse of Drugs (Industrial Hemp) Amendment Act 2001.
    (2) In this Act, the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 is called "the principal Act".

  2. Commencement
    This Act comes into force on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent.

  3. Interpretation
    (1) Section 2(1) of the principal Act is amended by inserting, after the definition of the term designated prescriber, the following definition:

    "industrial hemp means a plant or plant material, whether fresh, dried or otherwise processed, of a species of cannabis plant containing only up to 0.3 per cent of tetrahydrocannabinols or less".

    (2) Section 2(1) of the principal Act is amended by adding to paragraph (a) of the definition of prohibited plant the words ", other than industrial hemp".

  4. Second and Third Schedules amended
    (1) Clause 1 of Part I of the Second Schedule of the principal Act is amended by inserting in the item "CANNABIS preparations", after the words "cannabis plant material", the words "other than industrial hemp".

    (2) Part I of the Third Schedule of the principal Act is amended —

    1. by adding to the item "CANNABIS FRUIT", the words "other than industrial hemp":
    2. by inserting within the item "CANNABIS PLANT", after the words "any plant of the genus Cannabis", the words ", other than industrial hemp,":
    3. by adding to the item "CANNABIS SEED", the words "other than industrial hemp".