The first official trial of hemp, a close cousin of cannabis, is giving growers great hope.
It is illegal to grow hemp in New Zealand because it comes from the same family as cannabis, but last October Steve Burnett and eight other growers were issued the first licences to trial the crop for industrial use.
"It doesn't take very long to to grow, you can build houses out of this and it's great as a food resource," Burnett said.
Steve planted three varieties of imported seeds on his Motueka property and some are now three metres high.
Each hemp trial is under strict controls, including random police checks.
Inspector Jim Wilson from Nelson police says they have had no problems.
The hemp industry believes it has hit on a lucrative export market.
"If we can enthuse other businesses and the government...I'm sure we'll have a very vibrant industry. New Zealand is really a prime location for industrial hemp," Mac McIntosh from the Hemp Industries Association says.
Nelson engineer lindsay newton's using hemp fibre in his insulation blocks.... a natural alternative to pink bats.
Most hemp products sold New Zealand are made overseas in countries such as Canada and Europe where hemp has been legally grown for many years.
But local growers hope to be filling shop shelves with similar products within the next three years.
