Police pull out legal hemp in drug sweep

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AN East Coast farmer who wanted to trial hemp on the property he administers lost his trial crop of legal and licensed hemp plants in a police drugs operation this week. Police have apologised for the error.

Police removed the 16 young plants from Rangitukia Station, inland from Ruatoria. Staff were in the area as part of their annual operation to target cannabis growers.

Station trustee Willie Kaa said they had a licence to try hemp out as a commercial crop.

“We planted those 16 seedlings to see how the crop grows on our property. As part of the licence process, we had police come out to make an inspection of our small fenced plot back in November,” Mr Kaa said.

“All 16 plants were removed some time between Sunday and Tuesday. I discovered it when I went back to water them.

“I rang the police in Ruatoria and asked if they knew what had happened to my plants. They told me about the drugs operation.”

Mr Kaa said he was gutted.

“This has put us a year behind in our research because we have no more seedlings to plant, and we will have to wait until next year to re-do the trial.”

All the work done on the trial was voluntary.

“We had the test plot fenced off in an area between the two fords on the station. Now we have to tell our shareholders we cannot do the trial this year.”

Police have apologised for what happened.

Detective Senior Sergeant Brent Greville said it happened as part of efforts to target people who supply drugs to communities in the Eastern District.

“The 16 legitimate hemp plants were accidently seized by police on Tuesday. We have apologised to the owners, who have been understanding of the police error and they will be reimbursed,” Det Sgt Greville said.

Mr Kaa said he would disccuss compensation with police.

Hikurangi Hemp spokesman Manu Caddie said local police had apologised on behalf of their colleagues, but said the situation was still “very concerning”.

“We are trying to develop a new industry with a huge amount of regulatory hurdles, technical challenges and financial barriers. The last thing legitimate growers need is this kind of cavalier fly-boy approach by a small group of public servants who are supposed to enforce the law, not break it.”

The hemp cultivars were supplied as part of a strategy to build local industry and employment opportunities on the East Coast. Mr Caddie said he understood the officers involved mistook the plants for illicit varieties of cannabis but that explanation was not good enough.

“We are growing crops worth millions of dollars and need to know they are not at risk from police incompetence and poor information sharing.”

The company would encourage Mr Kaa to ask the police commissioner to investigate the incident.

Mr Caddie said it was a sad irony that the incident occurred the same day the Government announced plans to allow medical cannabis to be grown in New Zealand.