Meet The Team
Tadhg Stopford
Founder
The Obstacle is the Way
History and Hemp Medicine.
BA Hist/Pol, PG.DipEd, MSDT.
Family health issues, the 'cannabis paradox', and concern for his childrens future, inspired the Hemp Foundation.
Tadhgs interests are Hemp, raw cannabinoids, functional foods, and food grade Natural Health Products; incl Hemp ones.
These offer major popn. health benefits-incl. reduced health costs- without intoxication.
Tadhg wants to advance a sustainable, biological, health system and economy.
In 2020 Tadhg founded www.tigerdrops.co.nz, bringing NZs first rare hemp extract products to the public.
Kerri Hoy
Foundation Secretary
Kerri Hoy is a recently retired registered social worker.
BSW
Kerri was diagnosed with MS 20 years ago and has successfully managed it with a plant based diet. A keen cyclist and dancer, Kerri wants to ensure Kiwis have access to all medications and information that that can benefit their particular health issues.
Kerri is passionate about:
(1) the present state of our environment which needs urgent attention.
(2) Social justice, and believes that our drug laws are archaic and racist
Dr Ben Jansen
Advisor
Ko Ngati Hingirangi tana iwi.
FRNZCGP FRACGP FRNZCUCP
MBChB BHB PGDipSMed, PGDipCEMed
Founder and Director of Burleigh Heads Cannabis, CDA Health, &
Cannabis Doctors Australia.
Educator, Advocate and Prescriber of Medicinal Cannabis.
Dr Jansen is a graduate of Auckland Medical School.
Dr Jansen has a special interest in Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating cannabinoid.
A key figure in setting up THF, Dr Jansen is a well known leader in the Medicinal Cannabis Industry and acts as an independent benevolent advisor to the Hemp Foundation.
Dr Sarah Clarke
The Clinical Leader
FRNZCUC. FRHMNZ . PGDip Comm Em Med, GradDip RSt. PGDip TMed,
Dr Clarke is an internationally, experienced professional, and the Clinical Leader for Kaitaia public hospital. Dr Clarke is an honorary clinical lecturer at the University of Auckland Medical School. Dr Clarke has preliminary approval for NZs first clinical trials for CBD in palliative care.
Dr Clarke's interest in cannabis therapeutics came about after she saw a patients life positively transformed by Sativex, (a form of medical plant cannabis), Plant cannabis truly changed that patients life for the better.
Dr Clarke has a dual fellowship in Urgent Care and Rural Hospital Medicine. Additionally Dr Clarke is a member of the Board of Studies and Council for the DRHMNZ (RNZCGP). Dr Clarke holds a Graduate Diploma Rural Studies (Lifestyle Farming), and actively continues her medical education.
Dr Clarke is an independent advisor to the Hemp Foundation.
Christopher Woodney
iHemp Research & Development
Chris has a very personal link with dietary hemp cannabinoids, having saved his nurse sister and best friends lives with dietary hemp products.
An active and senior executive of the NZ Hemp Industry Association, Chris is a hurricane of innovation. As NZ Hemp Brokers Ltd., he pioneered New Zealands first legal hemp CBD products, making a big difference to real kiwis and their animals.
Chris wants to help NZ get ahead, he's working hard to make that happen.