Changes to industrial hemp licensing will support regulated
farmers to grow hemp and encourage investment in the industry,
while continuing to protect the public from drug misuse.
Hemp is a variety of cannabis containing less than 0.2% THC. It
has a number of lawful purposes, for example in construction and
textiles and could potentially impact climate change through
carbon capture.
To make sure this is only grown for strictly legal purposes,
farmers who wish to grow hemp must have a licence, balancing the
government's support for farmers with the need to protect the
public from drug misuse.
Under the planned changes, licence holders will be able to grow
hemp anywhere on a licensed farm and the maximum period for a
licence will be extended from three to six years, subject to
compliance with the terms of the licence.
The proposals, which have been developed in collaboration with
experienced growers, include an option to apply for a licence
with a deferred start date by up to one year. These changes are
planned to come into effect for the 2025 growing season.
The government has also asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse
of Drugs to provide advice on whether the THC permissible in
industrial hemp varieties could be safely raised to 0.3%.
The changes will not affect the robust laws in place regarding
the control of cannabis, which is a Class B controlled drug under
Part 2 of Schedule 2 in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. People will
therefore not be able to use these changes to avoid being charged
with possession or supply of cannabis.
The government expects the police to continue to take a robust
zero-tolerance approach to cannabis possession, which is a
criminal offence and should be enforced. Possession of cannabis
carries a maximum sentence of up to 5 years' imprisonment, a fine
or both, and supply of cannabis carries a maximum sentence of up
to 14 years' imprisonment, a fine or both.
, Minister for Crime and
Policing said:
This government will always seek to reduce unnecessary regulatory
burdens placed on businesses so that they can flourish and
grow.
The changes outlined today will help farmers and manufacturers in
the UK to fully realise the economic potential offered through
the safe and legal cultivation of hemp.
Farming Minister said:
Industrial hemp has huge potential across the UK to unlock new
revenue streams, expand our bioeconomy without permanently
removing land from food production, and bring wider environmental
benefits.
The licensing changes announced today recognise industrial hemp
as a field-grown agricultural crop and will enable more farmers
to add hemp to their crop rotations, sequester carbon, and sell
their harvest to the textile and construction industries.
Hemp can only be cultivated outdoors under the Home Office's
“industrial hemp” licensing regime for the purposes of fibre and
seed production. Growers who wish to use the controlled parts of
the plant (the leaves, flowers) for lawful purposes, including
the production of pharmaceuticals such as cannabis-based products
for medicinal use, can do so under a standard cannabis
cultivation licence.
The number of hemp licences has grown from six in 2013 to 136
hemp licences in 2023. A first-time licence costs £580. Licences
are issued for three growing seasons. Repeat growers currently
pay £326 for a licence, less than £109 per year.
