One of the baffling things in the natural industry for me is why it's not legal to sell hemp seeds as a food in Australia, when it is in virtually every other country in the world. We came across this interesting article earlier this year that explains a few of the steps and hurdles around the regulation of consumable hemp products in Australia.

Note: when we refer to the nutritional value of hemp products, eating hemp seeds, hemp oil or hemp protein powder, this information is for our international readers only. It is not legal for us to market hemp seeds, hemp oil or hemp protein powder as a food in Australia.

According to Dr Trent Watson, who is a spokesperson and dietitian for the Dietitians Association of Australia, hemp seeds have excellent nutrition credentials. They are a complete plant protein source, (like quinoa and soy is). 30g of hemp seed gives around 11g of protein. That's an excellent ratio. They are good way of getting omega 3 fatty acids in to the diet, the one that helps reduce bad cholesterol.

According to the article we read, the author feels that hemp seeds are suffering some 'guilt by association'. The assumption would be that you can buy a packet of hemp seeds, you could then grow pot and then smoke it and get stoned. This just isn't the case. Hemp seeds contain very little or NONE of the psychoactive components found in 'pot'.

The FSANZ (Food Safety Australia & New Zealand) are well aware of this and in 2002, approved hemp products as a food. However, it was rejected by ministers and to this day, it's still not legal to sell hemp as a food in Australia. YET. The reason given was that it would send the wrong message about illicit cannabis being safe. How ridiculous. A decade later, 2012 sees FSANZ again approve hemp seeds as a food, and again, hits a road block in parliament.

So for those who live in countries where it's legal to eat hemp seeds, how do you eat them? Sprinkle them on your muesli or in your trail mix, bake them in to muffins, make 'no bake' brownies (that won't get you high) with fresh medjool dates, coconut oil, nuts and goji berries. The seeds have a mild nutty flavour and are a complete source of protein. In Australia, you can also feed them to your pets.

While we're waiting for the Australian government to catch up to the rest of the world, hemp seeds and hemp oil can form a part of your natural beauty regime, being used to make body scrubs and lotions rich in omega 3 to nourish your body.

Source: SMH Article

hemp seeds australia

Hemp Seeds Update 2023

UPDATE: it is important to note that at the time this blog post was written, hemp seeds and hemp oil were not a legal food in Australia, despite it being legal almost everywhere else in the world. It wasn't until 2017 that the law was finally changed in Australia to allow their legal sale. It wasn't because the products were unsafe to eat before and then changed. Food Safety Australian New Zealand always said they were safe to eat, it was ridiculous bureaucratic nonsense by the Australian government because some people in power decided that if we declare hemp seeds are safe to eat as a food, then getting stoned and smoking pot must be ok too, which is just ridiculous.

Now they're in all kinds of snack bars because they're a complete source of protein and they're healthy and contain great healthy fats too and they're being endorsed by former Masterchef contestants.