Cannabiscuits for mutts

[Guest Leveller]

PAMPERED pooches will soon be salivating for a new doggie treat: an upmarket biscuit made from cannabis seed.

Tasmanian entrepreneur Ian Rochfort, who has been granted the first licence to use cannabis seed in a food product, will market the Scooby snacks nationally and for export as Hemp Hound Hors d'oeuvres.

But dog owners should not expect their pets to develop a fondness for Bob Dylan.

The licence issued to Mr Rochfort includes a strict testing regime to ensure the biscuits contain no more than 50mg per kilogram of tetrahydrocannabinols (THC).

"So basically, there is no chance your dog will be hallucinating rainbow cats," Mr Rochfort said.

The product must also carry "not for human consumption" warnings on the label.

Tasmanian Health Minister David Llewellyn granted the licence after advice from the state's chief pharmacist, John Galloway, that the product posed no risk to public health. "If a human rather than a dog chooses to consume a biscuit then there would be negligible psychoactive effect," Mr Galloway said.

Mr Rochfort hopes next to secure a licence to produce human health foods made with cannabis sativa seed, after discovering it to be extremely rich in healthy amino acids.

The state Government, hit by a downturn in potato crops after McDonald's substantially cut its contract with a local supplier, is cautiously co-operating with the fledgling hemp industry.

"This is the first licence for a hemp food product in Australia and probably in most countries of the world, including the United States and Canada, where we hope to export," Mr Rochfort said.

"I hope this will lead to a wider debate and that one day we might be able to legalise it for human consumption. It has a very high concentration of essential fatty acids.

"These ... promote the repair of damaged cells and have a range of health benefits - from a shiny coat and stronger teeth and nails in dogs, to lessening the impact of heart disease in humans."

Mr Rochfort, 39, discovered the properties of cannabis seed when looking for a suitable feed for Cape Barren Geese on his farm on Flinders Island, in Bass Strait.

His cannabis-reared geese won favour in markets around the world. He will now increase the area of low-THC cannabis under cultivation from 5ha to 20ha to accommodate the dog biscuit production.

The Hemp Hound Hors d'oeuvres are to be sold in 200g packs for $9.95 through vets, pet shops and the internet.