An Australian company is about to start growing and exporting medical cannabis from Norfolk Island. Source: AAP
AN Australian company is about to start growing and exporting medicinal cannabis from the self-governing Australian territory of Norfolk Island.
AUSCANN Group Holdings has struck a landmark deal with the Norfolk Island government to grow a high-grade medicinal strain of cannabis from November.
It intends to export its entire first crop to Canada by the middle of next year. An initial one tonne of cannabis will be grown from a protected two-hectare site with production forecast to ramped up to 10 tonnes by 2018. It will supply the Sativa and Sativa-dominant strains, which are unsuitable for growing in Canada’s indoor facilities. “This Australian-first project has the full support of the Norfolk Island community and is expected to generate much needed revenues via an export fee and employment,” AusCann Managing Director Elaine Darby said on Wednesday. Norfolk Island was an ideal venue for cannabis production because of its climate and geographical security. An international security firm, Lockforce International, has been engaged to ensure the site remains secure. At least eight full time jobs will be created initially, with more likely during the harvest and processing periods. “This is a win for our company, for the Norfolk Island community and further creates a new Australian export industry with substantial growth potential,” Ms Darby said. “We can feasibly expect this will become a multi-million dollar export industry by 2016.” Norfolk Island’s Health Minister Robin Adams said it was a valuable economic opportunity for the territory. “We are working with AusCann to ensure strict growing and security requirements are in place,” the minister said. AusCann is an Australian-owned company established in 2014 with the aim of producing high quality, medicinal-grade cannabis strains for export to importers licensed in accordance with the International Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961 (UN Convention).