UK-based hemp farm shuts down over THC in CBD products

In the British Isles, Jersey Hemp is the only farm allowed to grow hemp. Although the company is licensed to manufacture CBD products, the UK government recently closed the farm after finding traces of THC in the farm’s produce.

According to a BBC report, Jersey Hemp co-owners David Ryan and Blair Jones were forced to lay off half their staff and ceased operations, and the UK government restricted any export of Jersey Hemp products.

As a result, Jersey Hemp issued a press release on June 23 saying it was considering taking both the Home Office and Britain’s Food Standards Agency to court over the matter. “Jersey Hemp, the only licensed CBD producer in the British Isles, is considering taking legal action against the UK and Jersey governments following an order from the UK Home Office and subsequent support by Jersey authorities to stop the export of CBD Jersey Hemp Wellness to restrict products in the UK,” the statement said. “This decision, which contradicts a legal opinion that confirms the compliance of Jersey Hemp’s products with the relevant legislation, is a clear error of law and judgement.”

Jersey Hemp was approved for cultivation in 2019 and has met all of the country’s requirements for compliant operations for the past three years. “We really need to step back and think about the situation that we’re in,” Ryan said. “It’s very frustrating, quite sad, the impact on us has been devastating.”

The company worries that this decision could negatively impact the CBD industry as a whole. “If this decision is upheld, it would effectively make the entire CBD market illegal in the UK, which would be detrimental to Jersey Hemp’s viability as a business,” it said. “As a result, Jersey Hemp has already suffered a significant financial impact, resulting in a layoff process affecting over 50% of its employees.”

Hemp export is licensed under the Misuse of Drugs (Jersey) Law 1978, which the BBC says is allowed on a batch-by-batch basis. A spokesman for the British Home Office commented on the situation. “CBD in its pure form is not a controlled drug, but if a CBD product contains THC or other controlled cannabinoids, the product is likely to be controlled,” the spokesperson explained.

In a joint statement by Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture Kirsten Morel and Minister for Health and Human Services Karen Wilson, they said both Morel and Wilson were aware of the situation but gave no details on how to proceed. “We are aware that Jersey Hemp is in contact with the UK Government regarding exports to the UK. As a separate jurisdiction, we cannot comment on these talks and would not speculate on the outcome of them,” the statement said. “All companies licensed to grow cannabis in Jersey have a responsibility to ensure they comply with the relevant laws in the jurisdiction to which they are exporting products.”

There is evidence that British citizens want increased access to cannabis and other substances. A June 2022 survey found that a fifth of UK adults have tried CBD in the form of flower or oil, and 58% of survey respondents said they believe CBD offers health benefits.

Regardless, however, the UK remains in control of its own territory and has blocked Bermuda from going ahead with cannabis legalization in September 2022.

But the future isn’t all bleak, with support for cannabis and psychedelics abounding right now. In December 2022, UK police chiefs called for the decriminalization of cannabis for first-time offenders.

In April 2023, the UK-based University of Exeter launched a postgraduate course in clinical psychedelics entitled Psychedelics: Mind, Medicine and Culture. In May, Labor MP Charlotte Nichols spoke out in favor of reforming psychedelics. “There are serious and significant impediments to legitimate research related to Schedule I regulations,” Nichols said. “While current legislation does not preclude scientific research involving these drugs, it makes their research significantly more difficult, time-consuming and costly.”

In June, Michael Gove, the UK Secretary of State for Education, Housing and Communities and Secretary of State for Intergovernmental Relations, openly admitted that he had used cannabis in his youth, describing it as “a feature of the student experience for many people”. However, he claims that he “didn’t get very high.”