After the vote to leave the European Union, the UK Parliament passed an amendment (Act of Parliament: The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill) that will allow for the legalisation of Cannabis for medicinal purposes. One of the most burning issues in the UK is the question of whether to allow the cultivation of Cannabis for medicinal purposes.
UK cannabis production has suffered a major setback, as new Home Office data reveals that the number of illegal cannabis farms in the UK has dropped significantly since the Brexit vote. The data, released by the Home Office, shows that the total number of cannabis farms in the UK has fallen from a total of 13,000 in 2016 to 6,000 in 2017. This represents a drop of two thirds.
The company, which has the largest cannabis base for pharmaceuticals in Britain, is pushing for a change in immigration policy to address labour shortages after it was excluded from the farm worker visa scheme.
Peter Watson, agricultural director of British Sugar, which grows cannabis for the treatment of epilepsy in Wittington, Norfolk, raises the issue of recruitment. Plans for seasonal workers in agriculture….
Staffing problems stem from the surge in investment in cannabis companies after several countries, including the UK, legalised the use of herbal extract-based medicines.
British Sugar, which supplies ingredients for anti-epileptic drugs approved by US company Jazz Pharmaceuticals, is one of many farms excluded from the seasonal worker plans because they do not grow food. He’s alone.
This year British farmers have allowed up to 30,000 workers to come from abroad for up to six months to harvest their crops. It is intended to replace some of the foreign workers who previously entered the country under the EU’s freedom of movement.
Watson said: Too bad it was a very difficult year due to the lack of workers in the greenhouse.
Our seasonal colleagues live in the field during the growing and harvesting season and historically we have hired people from the UK and European countries, he added. This year we had a hard time recruiting people due to pilot restrictions.
This year we had a hard time recruiting people due to pilot restrictions.
He said British Sugar wants the government to extend the scheme to non-edible crops next year. We want a long-term commitment from the government to treat labour requirements for drug cultivation in the same way as for food cultivation, he said.
Audrey Elliott, an employment and immigration partner at the law firm Eversheds Sutherland, said the exemption applies to companies that grow pharmaceuticals and are looking for new crops that are more resistant to disease or have higher yields. He said he was all right.
The nature of the work often requires short periods of intensive work and life in the field, which can be unattractive or impossible for many, Elliott said. I will.
British Sugar is using the heat and carbon dioxide released from sugar production at its Wisington factory to grow cannabis in an 18-acre greenhouse, as part of a deal with GW Pharmaceuticals. Acquired by Jazz Pharmaceuticals in May.
Jazz is the only commercially operating group in the UK offering licensed medicines. This is the most regulated part of the growing market for the supply of legal cannabis products. The plants are grown with high levels of CBD compounds that help control certain forms of epilepsy.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals acknowledged the problem, but said it was still able to meet its obligations to supply the drug.
Chris Tovey, chief operating officer of Jazz Pharmaceuticals in the UK, stated:
MP’s recommendation in report Last week, the UK transferred the licensing of medicinal cannabinoids from the Home Office to the Department of Health, in an attempt to boost the growth of this sector of the pharmaceutical industry [approximately] £1 billion.
The UK’s withdrawal from the EU’s single market and customs union on 31 December 2014. December, the end of the Brexit transition period, the company relied on free movement in the EU to attract short-term labour.
Recommendation
Under the new immigration system, which aims to recruit skilled and well-paid workers, agriculture is the only sector where low-skilled workers will be recruited. It responds to a serious shortage of British workers willing to do demanding and often poorly paid work.
The florist previously said he had to let the flowers rot due to lack of staff.
The Home Office said the terms of the scheme would not change. There are currently no plans to expand the supply of seasonal workers beyond horticulture and employers should focus on training and investing in the local workforce rather than relying on foreign labour. It was.
Post-Brexit labour shortage hits UK cannabis production Source link Post-Brexit labour shortage hits UK cannabis production
