"The standard will take effect six months after it has been...

"The standard will take effect six months after it has been gazetted and ministers acknowledged that there is still a range of New Zealand and State and Territory legislation that currently prohibits the sale of low-THC hemp seeds as a food which will need to be amended," reads a communique from health ministers at the Forum of Food Regulation on Friday.

"Paul Benhaim, chief executive of Hemp Foods Australia, which only sells "external use only" products in Australia but exports food products, said the news was fantastic. MrBenhaim has been lobbying governments for 17 years.

He expects his business, which dominates 80 per cent of the domestic market, to quadruple in the next year. He has been selling hemp oil as a moisturiser, but will now be able to sell it as food.
"We're talking with supermarkets, juice shops, delicatessens about using hemp seeds in all sorts of products, from breads to drinks," he said."

"Charles Kovess, a member of Australian Industrial Hemp Alliance, said the news was a boon for Australia's fledgling hemp industry, from machine manufacturers to farmers.
The international market for hemp foods is estimated at $1 billion annually."

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/bus...mp-for-human-consumption-20170427-gvttq3.html