From WIRED · Orlando Crowcroft · · 3m
Welcome to Weed Island
Jersey's medical cannabis hub grows with exports and a loophole for recreational sales.
In brief
Jersey's medical cannabis hub grows with exports and a loophole for recreational sales. Jersey's medical cannabis industry exports £8.4 million annually while a loophole allows recreational sales through CBD products with high THC levels. Originally reported by WIRED.
Northern Leaf greenhouse
Steven Tan walks along a narrow concourse in the Northern Leaf greenhouse in St Lawrence, Jersey, reading aloud the strains of his cannabis plants: Pink Gasoline, Moon Beam Gelato, Carbon Fibre, Gorilla Kush.
“These plants are all different. Just like humans.”
Northern Leaf's role
Northern Leaf is one of Europe's largest licensed medical marijuana producers with a 100,000-square-foot facility in Jersey.
Jersey's cannabis industry
Jersey exports over 9,200 kilograms of medical cannabis in 2025, representing a high per capita output compared to the UK and Germany.
Jersey's medical cannabis growth
Jersey's chief minister Lyndon Farnham aims to make cannabis production a mainstay of the island's economy through a 'centre of excellence' strategy.
Northern Leaf's export figures
Northern Leaf exported £8.4 million ($11.3 million) worth of medical marijuana to the UK and Germany in 2025.
Steven Tan's vision
Tan claims he could create an industry worth more than Jersey's £40 million potato industry on 20 percent of the island's land.
Tan's background
Steven Tan, born in Malaysia to a Chinese father and Irish mother, worked in finance before transitioning to cannabis.
Global cannabis legalization
The early 2000s saw governments worldwide legalize medical marijuana and move toward decriminalization.
Jersey's regulatory environment
Jersey, a British Crown Dependency, has self-governing laws and a tax haven reputation with no capital gains tax.
Jersey's medical cannabis law
Jersey legalized medical cannabis in 2019 with five private clinics operating on the island.
Cannabis prescriptions in Jersey
6 percent of Jersey's population is prescribed cannabis compared to 0.4 percent in Germany and 0.1 percent in the UK.
Northern Leaf's financial situation
Northern Leaf was valued at £3.7 million in 2024 after a failed IPO and spent £30 million on its growing facility.
Sarah Clover's perspective
Sarah Clover, a cannabis licensing expert, says Jersey's products meet UK MHRA standards with quick permit processing.
Recreational cannabis loophole
A loophole allows CBD products with up to 3% THC to be sold legally in Jersey, enabling high-THC recreational sales.
Gary Tucker's business
Gary Tucker operates Bailiwick Botanicals, selling THC-infused products from the US to Jersey.
Tucker's business challenges
Bailiwick Botanicals faced a raid in February 2024, with products seized and stock not returned for six months.
Tucker's vision
Tucker believes Jersey's cannabis industry could expand into recreational markets and create jobs across multiple sectors.
Jersey's legal challenges
Jersey faces legal barriers to full recreational legalization due to UN drug conventions and UK oversight.
Northern Leaf's waste management
Northern Leaf burns low-quality cannabis products to comply with legal disposal requirements.
Steven Tan's future plans
Tan aims to create 'the Monsanto of cannabis' through genetic research and tissue-culture labs.
The takeaway
Jersey's medical cannabis industry exports £8.4 million annually while a loophole allows recreational sales through CBD products with high THC levels.
