The Isle of Man (located in the middle of the Irish Sea, between Ireland and the U.K.) is attempting to enter the cannabiz, and in a big way.
Peel NRE, a local firm, has outlined proposals to build an indoor cultivation facility and is currently asking for views from the public. The enterprise is just one of several belonging to John Whittaker, a billionaire and island resident. The planned complex would include cultivation units, plus research and development facilities.
According to the finance director Chris Eves, there has “never been a better time to grow the industry than the post-pandemic era.” Licenses for the production and export of medicinal cannabis have been available since June 2021 on the island.
Indeed, Eves said that it was the change in the law on the island, along with the zoning of the company land for employment use, that allowed such plans to progress.
Initial planning applications are still on the drawing board but will be submitted later this year.
Will The U.K.’s Islands Drive Cannabis Reform on The Mainland?
Progress towards legalization in the U.K. has moved forward in fits and starts for the past couple of years. Theoretically it is possible to obtain a medical cannabis prescription here, but in reality, the only people getting access are those willing to pay for private doctors (i.e. not on the NHS or national healthcare insurance that covers everyone who is legally allowed to live in the U.K.), and those willing to face down the Home Office and apply for individual licenses with a willing doctor.
It has literally taken dying children and showdowns at Heathrow over imported (medical) CBD oil to move the needle, and so