A GROUP of Gisborne entrepreneurs has produced the region’s — and potentially the country’s — first hemp beer, coinciding with a law change tomorrow on the sale of hemp seed products.

The ale, named Pre-Hemptive Strike, was developed by Sunshine Brewery’s head brewer Chris Scott with hemp seeds provided by Tai Pukenga Ltd, which has a small hemp plot on family land in Manutuke.

While hemp comes from the same plant family as marijuana, cannabis sativa, it has such low levels of the psychoactive component THC that it is impossible to get “high” from it.

Mr. Scott says aside from a higher protein content, courtesy of the hemp seeds, the beer contains no “other” health benefits.

“It is just novel and we are rapt to have the opportunity to do something new. We are really happy with how it has turned out,” he says.

The beer has a slightly spicy flavor provided by the hemp seeds brewed through the process.

It has good “head quality”, meaning it retains the foam at the top of the beer as it goes down the glass, due to the high protein.

The beer will be available on tap at Sunshine Brewery from 3 pm tomorrow, coinciding with the Australian and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation approving foods and beverages produced from hemp seeds (low THC) for human consumption.

At present, hemp seeds and hemp seed products, which are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as omega-3), are illegal to be consumed as food by humans (they can be fed to animals) in New Zealand.

Only hemp seed oil can be produced for human consumption.

Read more at Source: Gisborneherald