Cannabis Reform Moves Forward In UK’s Islands
Support for cannabis reform if not actual cultivation is moving ahead on the many islands ringing the mainland
From Guernsey, where cultivation is finally proceeding officially, to the Isle of Man’s upcoming election where candidates are talking openly if not enthusiastically for the need for cannabis reform, the entire discussion is proceeding in the UK, even if slowly, and even if, for the moment, mostly off its mainland.
There are of course, several reasons for this, starting with the dire need for economic development if not effectively treating residents with medicines that can be made easily and economically, locally.
On Guernsey, seven applications for cultivation have been filed by companies intending to cultivate and or process high THC cannabis for medical use.
On the Isle Man, only one of the five candidates in the running for the House of Keys election has categorized reform as a “slippery slope.” The other four are all in favour of at least decriminalization.
Regardless, both the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are moving the conversation forward and, in a way, likely to rebound on the larger debate in the UK.
The Status of Cannabis Reform in the UK
Despite being the largest exporter of cannabis products in the world for the last twenty years (albeit with one company holding an exclusive monopoly on the same), reformers have struggled to move the entire cannabis legalization discussion forward in a manner similar to Germany.
Currently there are several new cultivation projects afoot in the UK proper, but these are focussed on low THC. These days, much of the medical cannabis legally consumed in the UK comes from abroad (including Canada, Holland, and Germany).
Beyond this, medical authorities have refused to consider including chronic pain as one of the medical reasons for obtaining a cannabis prescription via the NHS (in other words at a discounted cost which most patients can easily afford).
Beyond the actual supply chain discussion however, there is one area in which the UK promises to be a major boon to the conversation across the continent – namely the more liberal financial markets in the UK – which are lining up to be one of the best sources of public equity across Europe.
In the meantime, however, green shoots and leaves are certainly appearing now on the islands dotting the British coastline. And this may, in turn, make all the difference in finally moving the conversation forward faster on the mainland.
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