7.27The committee recommends that the Australian Government actively consider the downstream implications that would flow from introducing a Commonwealth legislative definition of industrial hemp as Cannabis sativa with less than one per cent total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
7.28The committee recommends that the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and the Office of Drug Control progress, as a matter of priority, its review of the advice of early 2025 from the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board with a view to reducing or simplifying, where appropriate, the licencing obligations imposed on stakeholders in the hemp industry.
7.29The committee recommends that the Australian Government task all relevant Commonwealth agencies––including the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; Office of Drug Control; and Therapeutic Goods Administration––with identifying ways to reduce and simplify the regulatory burden on the hemp industry, including streamlining all aspects of licence applications and obligations between jurisdictions to reduce duplication.
7.35The committee recommends the Australian Government amend the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1956 to exclude the requirement for an export licence for hemp food products.
7.41The committee recommends the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority clarify the requirements and simplify the process for hemp-based products to be declared ‘excluded nutritional or digestive products’, including:
proactively assisting producers in preparing their applications; and
producing a clear and easy to follow guidance document.
7.48The committee recommends that the Australian Government, through the National Cabinet process, facilitates the recognition of state and territory licences across all jurisdictions.
7.61The committee recommends that the Department of Finance establish a process for explicitly considering hemp-based products in government procurement policies and plans.
7.66The committee recommends the Australian Government establish a taskforce to develop a national hemp framework to harmonise hemp regulations nationally.
7.72The committee recommends that the Australian Building Codes Board develops a standard under the Building Code of Australia supporting the use of hemp-based products in construction.
7.73The committee recommends that the Australian Government support the conducting of formal testing to establish fire ratings for hemp-based construction products.
7.74The committee recommends that the Australian Government conduct formal measurement of the carbon carrying capacity of hemp-based construction products.
7.75The committee recommends that the Australian Government establish a taskforce to formally develop a best practices standardisation process for hemp building materials and recognise hempcrete in the National Construction Code
7.82The committee recommends that AgriFutures Australia establish a new industrial hemp research and development plan encompassing plant breeding, processing infrastructure and other areas of the industrial hemp supply chain.
7.85The committee recommends that all payment providers, advertisers, and online platforms review their protocols and procedures to ensure that in their interactions with the hemp industry, hemp businesses are recognised and dealt with as legitimate and legal businesses.