Industrial hemp production in SA
Industrial hemp production is regulated in South Australia under the:
These regulations do not cover medicinal cannabis.
PIRSA is responsible for issuing industrial hemp licences in South Australia, which is needed for possession, cultivation, processing, and supply of certified products.
What is industrial hemp
Industrial hemp is a plant, or any part of a plant including seed, from the Cannabis genus, that has been specifically bred to have not more than 1% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels in the leaves and flowering heads.
This low concentration of THC means industrial hemp plants have none of the psychoactive (mind altering) effects associated with illicit cannabis varieties, known as marijuana. Industrial hemp is cultivated for seed or fibre production.
Hemp fibre and pulp can be used in:
- industrial and consumer textiles
- paper
- building materials.
Hemp seed and hemp seed oil can be used in:
- industrial products
- cosmetics
- food products.
What is not industrial hemp
Industrial hemp is not to be confused with medicinal cannabis, which covers approved, quality-assured cannabis and pharmaceutical grade products intended for human therapeutic use. These include a range of tablets, oils, tinctures, and other extracts.
The cultivation, production and manufacture of medicinal cannabis is regulated by the Australian Government under the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967 by the Commonwealth Office of Drug Control.
Licence applications
Depending on the activities to be authorised, you can apply for a possession licence, a cultivation licence, or a processing licence.
These are issued for up to 5 years and will only be approved by PIRSA if:
- the applicant, and each associate of the applicant, is deemed to be a fit and proper person by South Australia Police
- the area of cultivation is greater than one hectare.
Before applying, read the Guidelines for industrial hemp licence applicants ().
Growing certified industrial hemp
The Industrial Hemp Act 2017 requires that industrial hemp must be grown from certified hemp seed. This must be:
- sourced from hemp parent plants with a concentration of THC in leaves and flowering heads of not more than 0.5%
- accompanied with a certificate from an approved laboratory testing the parent plants.
Find out about growing industrial hemp in SA ().
Crop testing
Typically, plants grown from certified hemp seed will produce an industrial hemp crop with less than the maximum allowed 1% THC.
Independent crop testing is conducted by authorised PIRSA inspectors to verify that the THC content of all industrial hemp crops meets legal requirements. Crops exceeding 1% THC will no longer be industrial hemp and will potentially be referred for criminal investigation under the Controlled Substances Act 1984.
For more information see the Controlled Substances (Controlled Drugs, Precursors and Plants) Regulations 2014.
Research trials
A fourth round of industrial hemp trials was completed in the southeast of the state to determine the optimum sowing and growing period for 5 new varieties. Cultivation suitability was assessed in 19 varieties in the southeast and the Riverland, including:
- hemp grain for food and various uses
- biomass for fibre production.
The trials were led by PIRSA’s research arm, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI).
Industrial hemp research will continue at Loxton and Maaoupe through the Agrifutures Australia Industrial Hemp Variety Trials (IHVT), of which the SA Government is a partner.
SA hemp trials 2021
SA hemp trials 2021
The 2020–21 trials conducted at Maaoupe (near Coonawarra) confirmed key aspects for good production. These included:
- planting in free draining soil
- using good quality irrigation water (<1500 parts per million (PPM) / <2700 electrical conductivity units (EC))
- achieving a high plant density (>50 plants/m2) to assist in controlling weeds through early canopy closure.
Learn more in the SA industrial hemp trials – Update report 2021 ().
