Licensed cannabis firms down from 14 to three

Paul Smith, chairman of the Channel Islands Cannabis Industry Association, spoke out on the eve of debate to urge States members to support moves to investigate the legalisation of the drug at their meeting this week.

In a letter to all deputies, he warned that the local industry had lost significant momentum but it was not too late for the States to help to turn it around.

Mr Smith said he wanted to promote ‘a well-regulated, transparent, and respectable industry that is making positive contributions to the environment, health and finances of Guernsey’.

‘In 2018, Guernsey was seen as a leading jurisdiction with regard to the easing of cannabis laws and the introduction of a licensed cannabis cultivation and processing regime but, due to a variety of reasons, that position has been lost to Jersey and the Isle of Man who have seen significant inward investment to their islands in the past two years while Guernsey has seen the number of licensees reduce from 14 at its peak in 2020 to only three in 2022.

‘Jersey is attracting new cannabis businesses, while Guernsey is seeing cannabis businesses close down and no new businesses wishing to set up here.

‘The States of Guernsey has failed to facilitate or support the establishment of this new industry and, in the past 12 months, has actually taken a backward step.’

With local prescriptions for legal medicinal cannabis continuing to rise, Mr Smith said the island was already largely missing out on the opportunity to tax some £4.5m. in legal local cannabis sales.

Mr Smith quoted the States in its monitoring update on the Government Work Plan from January this year that ‘considerable co-ordinated effort was being applied’ to the medicinal cannabis sector. He claimed this effort was ‘misdirected’ and ‘is certainly not supporting the wider cannabis industry’.

‘It is not, however, too late to address this and, provided action is swift and demonstrates “action this day”, you can provide Guernsey with a new industry that has a broad range of positive benefits for the island as a whole,’ he said in the letter.

‘The time for Guernsey to act is now. Any further delays will result in Guernsey missing the boat and failing to reap the benefits of a fully regulated, legal cannabis industry. This is the last opportunity for our greenhouses to be saved and returned to horticultural use, providing a green and sustainable industry that diversifies the economy and provides health and financial benefits to islanders.’

On behalf of the industry, Mr Smith said that he agreed with the Global Commission on Drug Policy that the global war on drugs had failed.

‘So why are some deputies so adamant that this war should continue in Guernsey with respect to cannabis in particular?’ he said.

‘Cannabis, or any drug for that matter, is much safer when well-regulated and monitored. History has shown that people will take cannabis whether it is legal or not, so it is much better that it is dealt with in a transparent and open manner rather than allowing the black market to thrive with all of the risks that it brings.

‘Prohibition has been shown not to work and we need to move forward as a society and embrace change.’

He said that amendments seeking to close down the cannabis debate in the States would have the unintended consequence of ‘pushing cannabis back to the black market in Guernsey’.

‘Any action that results in the continuation of or increase in the black market will continue to be detrimental to society as a whole. No jurisdiction that has legalised cannabis has subsequently decided that it was the wrong course of action and the list of countries realising that cannabis should be legalised and taking the appropriate steps to make the change is growing by the day.’

Home Affairs president ‘using any trick in the book’

THE politician who has driven a States debate on the legal status of cannabis this week has accused the president of Home Affairs and his committee of trying ‘any trick in the book’ to avoid a serious discussion on the topic.

Deputy Marc Leadbeater has responded strongly to Deputy Rob Prow’s open letter, published yesterday, claiming that it lacked evidence and also suggesting that the illegal market in cannabis would ‘fall away overnight’ in the island with the introduction of an ‘adult use regime’.

‘If the Committee for Home Affairs think that cannabis is so bad, and by their own admission it is easily obtainable in the Bailiwick, then why on earth do they not want it to be regulated and controlled? There is absolutely no sense in their argument whatsoever,’ he said.

‘Deputy Prow and his committee will try any trick in the book to avoid the States of Deliberation ever having a well-reasoned, evidence-based debate on the merits or otherwise of adult use cannabis legislation.’