A grower in Jersey has made history by becoming the first British company to get a licence to harvest hemp flowers for CBD.

Jersey Hemp has been given the green light by the Government of Jersey to harvest industrial hemp flowers.

The licence allows the company to harvest, process and store the hemp flowers in preparation for cannabidiol CBD extraction.

It is the first licence issued in the British Isles for the harvest of flowers for CBD production destined for the food, nutritional and cosmetic markets.

It will allow Jersey Hemp to produce an estimated 30-40 tonnes of dry hemp flower annually with a forecasted CBD concentration of between 3-5%.

A company spokesman said: “We anticipate this will allow Jersey Hemp to be able to compete commercially on a level playing field with international producers in China, Eastern Europe and the Americas, where all CBD sold in the UK is presently grown and manufactured.

“Jersey Hemp has been cultivating and processing industrial hemp for three and a half years, and this year’s harvest will be its third cultivation and the first to include the flowers.”

Economic Opportunity

Jersey’s Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture, Senator Lyndon Farnham said: “I am very pleased that the Government of Jersey has granted this licence to Jersey Hemp.

“The licence represents a significant opportunity for the island’s economy, allowing us to begin cultivating and processing hemp for the extraction of CBD – a growing market, both in the UK and internationally.

“Extracting Jersey-produced CBD will allow the island to take its place in this fast-developing sector, supplying controlled and reliable CBD products with strong British Isles provenance.

“Jersey has real potential in this area, and the issuing of this licence signals our clear intent to position ourselves as a centre of excellence in CBD production, research, genetics and intellectual property.”

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