The Bailiwick of Guernsey Cannabis Agency (BGCA) has issued its first licence in relation to CBD product since the Memorandum of Understanding was established between the Committee for Health & Social Care and the UK Home Office in July 2021. This follows the first Cannabis-Based Products Medicinal (CBPM) CBPM licence which was issued in November.
The licence in relation to CBD has been issued to Celebrated, whose Director, Tina Bolding said:
"I'm delighted to have secured a licence both for our business and for the wider industry in Guernsey. We had to work hard to demonstrate the high quality and professionalism that underpins our business, which is only right in a sector whose credibility comes in part from a robust regulatory framework."
Last year the Bailiwick of Guernsey established a licensing framework with the UK via a Memorandum of Understanding. Each application is reviewed jointly by the BGCA and the UK Home Office and this concludes with a site inspection. Two rounds of inspections have now been carried out with a licence being issued to a successful applicant on both occasions. Additional visits have been scheduled throughout 2022 to ensure that businesses have regular opportunities to go through the application process.
Applicants that do not secure a licence receive detailed feedback to support them with submitting further applications if they wish to do so. Extensions have also been granted to existing licences to allow businesses to lawfully operate and to reapply if they so wish.
Cannabis remains a controlled drug within the Bailiwick. The cultivation of cannabis is strictly prohibited within the Bailiwick unless carried out under licence. The BGCA is responsible for reviewing, regulating, inspecting and licensing cannabis businesses within the Bailiwick.
There is regular communication between the BGCA and the Channel Islands Cannabis Industry Association and its members including actual and virtual meetings.
Details of the BGCA and the application process are available on the States' website; https://gov.gg/cannabislicensing
