# Welcome to Weed Island

> Jersey's medical cannabis hub grows with exports and a loophole for recreational sales.
- Title: Welcome to Weed Island · WIRED | Shortify
- Summary: Jersey's medical cannabis hub grows with exports and a loophole for recreational sales.
- Keywords: jersey, medical cannabis, northern leaf, steven tan, jersey royal potatoes, cannabis exports, recreational cannabis, bailiwick botanicals, thc, cbd, jersey parliament, medical prescriptions
- Source: WIRED — https://wired.com/story/welcome-to-weed-island-jersey
- Author: Orlando Crowcroft
- Published: 2026-11-09T07:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: jersey, medical cannabis, northern leaf, steven tan, jersey royal potatoes, cannabis exports, recreational cannabis, bailiwick botanicals, thc, cbd, jersey parliament, medical prescriptions
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Jersey's medical cannabis industry exports £8.4 million annually while a loophole allows recreational sales through CBD products with high THC levels.