Hemp cultivation licences (FOI)

Request

Can you please provide the numbers of cannabis / hemp cultivation licences given out during this and previous years and if possible to whom they were issued, where the premises are, what the building, site and business plans are that were presented and finally what this cost those concerned?

Assuming some of the data I have requested will be denied I was also hoping to find out if the Government of Jersey have any plans in place for the future of this industry?

Response

The number of companies licenced to cultivate industrial hemp are as shown in the following table.  

There have been no licences issued to cultivate high THC (psychoactive) cannabis.

The remaining information you have requested is exempt under the following Articles of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011.

Article 35 - Formulation and development of policies

Information is qualified exempt information if it relates to the formulation or development of any proposed policy by a public authority.

The Government of Jersey are in the early stages of developing a policy regarding this industry.

We believe that the policy development information should be withheld to allow Ministers and Officials to have frank discussions and receive advice to allow the development of the policy. This outweighs the public interest of disclosure of the policy before it is finalised.

Article 42 – Law Enforcement

Information is qualified exempt information if its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice –

(a) the prevention, detection or investigation of crime, whether in Jersey or elsewhere;

Information regarding the name of the licenced companies and the location of their premises is being withheld under Article 42(a) as it is considered that its disclosure into the public domain would likely create an opportunity for break-ins.

Article 33 - Commercial Interests

Information is qualified exempt information if –

(b) its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of a person (including the scheduled public authority holding the information).

Details regarding site plans, business plans and costs are being withheld under Article 33 (Commercial Interests) We believe that disclosure of the information would likely prejudice or harm the commercial interests of companies and that this prejudice outweighs the public interest in favour of disclosure.