Seeing the beautiful range of edible and personal care hemp products that we now have in our stores, it’s hard to imagine that only a couple of years ago, it was illegal to sell edible hemp products in Australia! We wanted to take the opportunity to talk a little about the history of the legalisation of hemp as food, as it is a pretty amazing and versatile plant.
Before November 2017, there were laws regulated by FSANZ, which prohibited all species of cannabis from being added to food or sold as food in Australia and New Zealand. During this time, Santos stocked a few hemp products; such as seeds, powders and oils, but it was very important that it was presented and sold to our customers only for cosmetic use as it was illegal to do otherwise.
After many years of lobbying, hemp was finally legalised as food in Australia on 12th November 2017 and recognised by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) as not only safe to consume but also beneficial to our health and a good alternative source of nutrients and polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is said to be one of the best plant-based balanced sources of Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids and also a very good quality plant-based protein!
Hemp is not only an amazing superfood but it is also a sustainable, pest-resistant crop that requires less water and less chemical application than other fibre crops so it is awesome for the planet too. It has many other uses beyond being a food source, such as textiles, bio-plastics, paper and fuel as well as the automotive industry... What's not to love about the amazingly versatile hemp!
With the amendments to the Food Standards Code, our hemp range has changed significantly. While our range has always included personal care products such as hemp based soaps and body oils, we are so excited to see it expanding to many other interesting new products such as hemp kombuchas, milk, shampoos and conditioners and even hemp products for pets!
Visit our stores for all the latest hemp products, or shop online (limited range of hemp products online).
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