David Seymour: ACT Leader pushes to bolster New Zealand's medicinal cannabis industry

David Seymour has explained what we're missing out on by not investing in the medicinal cannabis industry. 

The ACT Leader's looking at further improvements to speed up processing for exports of the plant, which he believes could one day rival the wine industry.  

He's open to improving regulation domestically as well. 

David Seymour told Mike Hosking they want to simplify the process it takes to get a licence. 

He says regardless of what people might think of the plant, there's a market for it, it's worth several hundred million dollars to the economy, and creates jobs.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
In a week where we have once again celebrated dairy
and tourism as income earners. How about medicinal cannabis? Is
it the new export stream forest? We exported more than
a ton of cannabis flower in twenty twenty four, which
was up from forty nine kgs in twenty twenty one,
so you can see the growth path there. Government's now
exploring ways to cut red tape. David Seymour is the
Minister of Regulation and also the Associate Minister of Health

(00:20):
and is with us. Good morning, good morning, way this
sector of this product in terms of regulation, is it
any different to meat or kiwi fruit?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
It is because cannabis remains an illegal drug in New Zealand,
so you can't just grow it. Anyone can grow a
kiwi fruit tree, it's still illegal to do that with marijuana.
That's meant that Medsafe has had to regulate every batch,
impose quite bureaucratic laws that don't exist overseas. We last

(00:50):
year or the year before, we said, look, if it
meets the standards of the country you're exporting to, then
you can do it, but you still need a license.
The licensing has been quite complicated. We're basically half the
time it takes to get a license. But we want
to further simplify that because regardless of what people may
think of this product, there's a market for it, and

(01:10):
it's a couple hundred million dollars estimated that brings money
into the country. It's good jobs for people, and if
we want to catch other countries economically, this could help
them two ways. It speeds us up and slows them down.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
What's the bigger problem the exporting license red tape issue
or the stigma around the product or to the export markets.
There is no stigma. They want it, they buy it.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Look, it's becoming normalized. I realize there'll be people listening saying,
why is this guy promoting marijuana? But you know, the
fact is that there's a market out there. There's a
community that's these medicinal marijuana as a legitimate way to
treat their ailments, and good on them, and if we
can make a lot of money out of it, then
let's go for it. Let's not have any needless red tape.

(01:53):
In fact, let's cut the red tape so people can
get more of the green.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
Is there any sophistication around I just know people who
got into the industry and they went bust. It had
a crypto vibe about it because everyone jumped on, is
there any sophistication around the industry. Yeah, there is.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
I mean I've visited some of these places where they're
growing it and it's seriously sophisticated stuff. For the amount
of investment, the secure facilities, the labs. You know, these
aren't cowboys. These are people that have sunk serious capital
into their businesses so that they can grow legally and
securely and efficiently and at a very high quality. I

(02:29):
mean I compared it to the wine industry, and some
people may scoff at that, but basically you're producing a
very high end product for people to use that they
see as being, you know, having a therapeutic or important
value for them to consume. And New Zealand has a
brand that we can produce really good, pure natural stuff.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
That answers my next question sort of the New Zealand Inc.
Aspect of that. So is it like wine and there
is a brand around it that if you're going to
buy this stuff, New Zealand does it better than others.
So it's quality story, not a quantity story.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, I think that's what the people in the industry
would like. I mean that the quantity is going up massively.
You know, four years ago it was fifty kilograms. Last year,
New Zealand business has literally exported a ton of medical
marijuana over one thousand kilograms. So it's multiplied by twenty
in just a few years, partly since we've relaxed the

(03:23):
regulations around it. And I ultimately, you know, how they market,
it's up to the commercial enterprises. My job is to
make sure that there's no red tape making it harder
than it needs to be.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
Okay, do you know about the Courier poll coming today?

Speaker 2 (03:36):
Oh? Look, I hear all the gossip going around Wellington.
But all I know is we've still got a job
to do and might as well do it well and
we'll be rewarded if we do, and we won't if
we don't.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
And having said that, I'm told that Luxton's considering his position.
Is it that serious or is this just some some
shit stirring from some people who want to cause trouble.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Well, one thing I say for Luxton is, you know
he's pulled together a coalition that a lot of people
said was impossible. I think we all deserve a bit
of credit for that, and that includes him. He's led
New Zealand through some really tough times, a massive clean
up job, and then people just want to beat on
the guy and wanted to say for all of us,
I mean to forget Chris for a moment. We all

(04:17):
need to stop beating on people. I look at this
coverage that he's had in the last few days. You
know what's more important? Is it how do we turn
the economy around? Or did some guy misspeak at one
point during the week. I mean, I just think the
whole thing is dragging us down as a country.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
Couldn't agree with you more. Is he a handbreak on
the coalition? Though?

Speaker 2 (04:36):
Well, the coalition functions in part because Chris has been
a good manager and I think, actually, you know, I
got positive things to say about him. Do we disagree
on policies, of course, That's why I'm in the Act Party.
We always want to go faster on smaller government and
so on. But you know, basically, the fact that we're
all still here working together, I think is a tribute
to the guy, and people should probably look at some

(04:58):
of the bigger trends are going on in New Zealand,
rather than trying to beat them up about you know,
some some minor word that he said or didn't say.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
Nice talk to you, well, said David. See more with us.
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