Gary Grant, a member of FTB’s new Cannabis Law team, has been instructed to advise Volteface, the leading UK drug-harm reduction organisation, in relation to their newly launched Pleasant Lands campaign. 

The campaign is designed to unlock opportunities for UK hemp farmers and small businesses in the legal cannabis-related market. 

Together with Robert Jappie of Ince solicitors, Gary is advising on the legal and licensing framework of hemp cultivation, cannabis and CBD products in the UK, and on the potential legal solutions to the current regulatory restrictions.

The hemp industry has been held back by current Home Office licensing policy on industrial hemp cultivation, and other regulatory restrictions, that prevent British hemp farmers from processing and extracting CBD from the leaves and flowers of the hemp (or cannabis) plant, mandating that only the seeds and stalks can be used.

This unnecessary waste of the most valuable part of the crop has limited domestic hemp cultivation and excluded British hemp farmers from participating in the rapidly-growing global CBD market, leaving the UK reliant on imports.
Pleasant Lands has been launched to campaign for the solution – to allow the extraction of CBD from UK hemp, and wholesale of the crop for this purpose. This reform would raise crop value, boost cultivation and improve the environment, whilst also creating a new UK industry.

The campaign will raise awareness of this issue and produce a report, due for release in summer, that will outline to the government: how the current licensing framework disadvantages British hemp farmers, the economic and environmental benefits of allowing CBD extraction from hemp, a legal pathway to reform and recommendations for the future licensing regime.

Liz McCulloch, Director of Policy at Volteface said,
“With the UK on the brink of deep recession, Volteface will be presenting the government with a primed policy solution that will drive up economic growth and jobs and support green recovery. This is the time to seize upon the economic potential of hemp cultivation, which global experience has shown to be significant. Pleasant Lands will act as the vehicle for change, encompassing a range of expertise, experiences and interests in hemp cultivation.To inform this work, Volteface has assembled strategic partnerships with the leading experts in hemp regulation and extraction:

Gary Grant: Vice-Chairman of the Institute of Licensing and barrister at Francis Taylor Building

Robert Jappie: Specialist in Cannabis Law & Regulation and Partner at Ince

Dr Henry Fisher: Chief Scientific Advisor at Hanway Associates”.

Gary Grant is Member of FTB’s Cannabis Law team and can be contacted through his clerks at clerks@ftbchambers.co.uk