Whanganui business Hempress wraps up national tour in Whanganui

NZ Hempress's Tarryn Thompson with CEO and husband Nick and Lisa Gadsby are talking all things hemp tonight in Whanganui. Photo / Bevan Conley

A Whanganui-based hemp company is on the final leg of its North Island tour trying to break the stereotypes attached to the misunderstood plant.

NZ Hempress, based out of their 'Hempire' on Taupo Quay is about to wrap up its New Zealand Hempress Health Roadshow.

Chief executive Nick Thompson and chief hempresses Tarryn Thompson and Lisa Gadsby have spent the last three weeks delivering educational seminars on hemp and their product range all around the North Island.

They will be holding their penultimate seminar in the conference room at 151 London St today at 7pm.

This is the second tour NZ Hempress has done, with the company focusing on a holistic, educational approach around the benefits and possible ways hemp can be used.

The seminars have been built into this philosophy, focusing on how hemp works and operates in the human body.

Thompson said the engagement has been incredible from the public.

"We have such good engagement. A lot of our marketing is organic and word of mouth and the fastest way to do that is get face to face with people and talk to them."

NZ Hempress has been relying on these personal exchanges to get its story out there.

"We basically hit the road unsure how we were going to go."

Thompson said most people on the tour have been interested in learning how hemp medicines can assist them in their everyday lives.

"Hemp is really three things. Hemp is food, fibre and it is medicine. Hemp seed oils are in the food category and you can find in protein powders and so on. In the fibre space, you have textiles like clothing, shoes, building materials and plastic equivalents."

"Hemp is purely a tool that is used," Gadsby said.

Thompson said: "That really became our mission at NZ Hempress, to educate on the ECS and secondary to provide the highest quality hemp products."

• The seminar runs from 6.30pm till 7.30pm. Tickets cost $5 at the door at 151 on London in the Conference Centre.