Isle of Man plans $136 million facility off UK coast

The Isle of Man (located in the middle of the Irish Sea between Ireland and Great Britain) is trying to break into the cannabis business, and in a big way.

Peel NRE, a local company, has outlined proposals for building an indoor growing facility and is currently soliciting opinions from the public. The company is just one of several owned by billionaire islander John Whittaker. The proposed complex would include add-on units and research and development facilities.

According to finance director Chris Eves, “there has never been a better time for the industry to grow than in the post-pandemic era.” Licenses for the production and export of medicinal cannabis have been available on the island since June 2021.

In fact, Eves said it was the change in law on the island, along with the zoning of company land for employment, that allowed such plans to go ahead.

The first planning applications are still on the drawing board, but will be submitted before the end of this year.

Will the British Isles push cannabis reform on the mainland?

Progress towards legalization in the UK has come in spurts in recent years. In theory it is possible to get a prescription for medicinal cannabis here, but in reality only those willing to pay for private doctors (d UK) and those willing to face the Home Office and obtain individual licenses are granted access to a willing doctor.

It’s taken literally dying children and showdowns at Heathrow over imported (medical) CBD oil to get the needle moving, and so far it hasn’t moved much.

Meanwhile, the CBD industry is struggling to obtain certifications and licenses in an environment where growing parts of the cannabis flower remains illegal on the mainland.

On islands off the mainland, however, the picture appears to be different. This starts with the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey, where efforts have been made for several years to get cultivation and processing off the ground for (at least) a medicinal market.

However, unlike the Channel Islands, residents of the Isle of Man will not be able to use the drug they produce until further reforms are implemented locally. In January 2021, the island government passed a resolution to legalize the cultivation, production and export of medicinal cannabis. Meanwhile, patients who try to cultivate are still fined and prosecuted.

On the mainland, Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, has promised to launch a unique new decriminalization process in two boroughs of the city.

When is real reform coming to Britain?

Many on the ground are asking this question, especially after Brexit and after COVID. With ethics, sex and other scandals affecting Britain’s royal family, the Prime Minister and the country’s largest police force, things seem a little bumpy politically at the moment. Cannabis reform will be low on the list of things to do, despite those who have been peddling pro-cannabis reform platforms from Germany to Louisiana lately.

This is particularly notable as the post-Brexit UK has departed from European rules and laws, not to mention dismal numbers when it comes to living standards and employment. Tragically, however, the Labor government and its leaders have repeatedly dropped the issue and everyone else is too busy defending themselves against the recent scandal du jour.

What is likely to happen?

Cannabis reform is a contemporary political issue everywhere at this point. With big money now backing reform in the UK, it is unlikely to hold back the tide of domestic reform for long, even small and incremental ones. Indeed, that’s clearly what Khan is banking on, aside from his disgust at the rampant problems that have surfaced at the Metropolitan Police Service (the country’s largest police force).

Expect more City Trials after the start in London. Not to mention the day of the issue in Parliament. In addition, the topic as an economic engine is child’s play.

And who knows? It may even attract some weird, well-known personalities looking for alternative sources of income, no matter who they piss off in the process. A shady reputation might even help.

Prince of York cannabis, anyone? After all, Harry lives in Cali now.