What’s 420 all about?

Party crowd of 420 marijuana smokers

420 refers to the date April 20th, or 4/20 (American date format), and can be expanded to 20th of April @ 4:20pm. This date (and time) is informally recognised globally as the international holiday for marijuana culture, where enthusiasts celebrate by smoking it (aka. Weed Day). There are many conspiracies as to how and when this ritual came about, but the most plausible dates from 1971. This is when a group of five friends from San Rafael high school, in Northern California, came into possession of a hand-drawn map locating…

Could Hemp Replace Plastics?

Polluting plastics littering riverbank

With the devastating impact the widespread use of plastics is having on our planet, there has been a concerted effort by global governments to find alternatives that could replace plastics. Sometimes these alternatives, such as biodegradable plastics (eg, polybutyrate, polylactic acid and polycaprolactone) can become even more toxic than conventional plastics when disposed of, and broken down, in landfills. Our planet urgently needs to find truely planet-friendly plastic substitutes to replace plastics, rather than placing a band-aid on this critical and ever-increasing problem. Enter Hemp. Hemp can be moulded and…

NZ Hemp Support Websites

NZ Parliament Beehive building

Below are various NZ Hemp websites, and the respective government organisations providing information and support for the industry. NZHIA – New Zealand Hemp Industries Association This is a very helpful association with the aim to support the NZ Hemp industry. Membership is very reasonable and gives you guidance with hemp applications, access to other members and an extensive knowledge base. iHemp NZ This website provides details of the NZ annual hemp summit, that is normally held in Rotorua. This event is attended by all the major players with the NZ…

The numerous uses of the amazing hemp plant

hemp leaf placed on hemp fibres

The numerous uses and benefits of the amazing hemp plant The products that can be manufactured from the incredibly versatile hemp plant, is conservatively estimated at over 25,000. The absolutely huge global marketing potential is only just starting to be recognised and understood. New Zealand hemp has the potential to emulate that what has been done for the kiwifruit or wine industries. New Zealand needs a more diversified industry base and hemp can provide that.  The variety of uses this amazing plant’s fibres have been applied, throughout history, include  :…

New Zealand’s Hemp Business Opportunity

NZ money featured with hemp highlighting New Zealand's hemp financial opportunity

New Zealand has a rich history of creating new lucrative markets with which to diversify our economy. The NZ$3 billion kiwifruit industry and the NZ$1.5 billion wine industry are but two great examples of how global exporting success can be achieved in a relatively short period of time. Currently there are several new industry sectors that are also hoping to emulate this success, and hemp is one showing enormous potential. The worldwide hemp business opportunity was US$4.6 billion in 2019 and the trajectory suggests it will reach US$65 billion by…

The increasing interest in New Zealand hemp news

hemp seeds and hemp leaf image

The booming global demand for hemp, and hemp products, have seen the industry hit over $5 billion in annual sales revenue with projections for this to increase to at least $27 billion by 2028. That’s a compound annual growth rate of 25%. With the exponentially increasing interest in the hemp industry, and the many 1000’s of products that can be made from this incredibly versatile plant, comes the desire for New Zealand hemp news  – general hemp news and articles, reports covering businesses and companies that  operate in the hemp…

How pets can benefit from hempseed oil

Happy dog in a field of hemp plants

  Hempseed oil can be very beneficial for any type of pet. From helping with their pain relief to remedying skin infections, hempseed oil can work wonders for your dog, cat, or even horse. We recommend that before administering any hemp oil to animals to consider consulting with your vet or specialist. They can advise the recommended dosages that will vary between pet breeds, and also could provide advice on continual monitoring.  Pain reliever Since 2900 B.C, the health giving properties of the Cannabis Sativa plant has been extolled. Doctors…

A Brief History of Hemp

boy harvesting hemp in the field

Compared to all other plants, hemp has led one of the most versatile and multifaceted roles in human history. Here we will attempt to run through a very brief timeline covering the more significant periods in the evolution of the hemp industry. Circa 8000BC, hemp became one of the first cultivated crops with evidence of hemp cord being used with pottery in Mesopotamia to hemp seeds and oil being consumed in ancient China and modern-day Turkestan. From there hemp started spreading around the world over the next 6000 years. In 2900BC…

10 Mind-Blowing Facts about Hemp

Ford hemp plant with Hendy Ford standing beside the car

1. In USA it used to be illegal to NOT grow hemp There used to be a time when American farmers could be fined or even jailed for not growing hemp. Because it was such a valuable crop in the US state of Virginia, the ‘Assembly of Jamestown Colony’ passed legislation in 1619 making it mandatory for every farmer to grow Indian hempseed. 2. Hemp cultivation dates back 10,000 years The first traces of hemp were found way back in 8000bce in Asia regions that are now parts of China…