Isle of Man opens licence applications for new cannabis export sector

The Isle of Man (IOM) Government has confirmed that licence applications are open for the production, distribution and export of medicinal cannabis products from the Island.

The regulator for the sector - the Gambling Supervision Commission (‘GSC’) – has now completed the guidance to support its regulatory framework, which will provide interested parties with details on the requirements for the licensing of hemp production and high-THC products.

This marks a significant step in the IOM’s bid to be a world-leading exporter of medicinal cannabis, which will provide significant economic investment and development for the Island. The sector is expected to create 250 new jobs and £3 million in annual benefit in the coming years, and considerably more through the growth of associated infrastructure – including financial and operational – to support the sector. The Government anticipates the medicinal cannabis sector to also support and bring innovation to the Isle of Man’s Cleantech and construction sectors, as well as develop businesses from within and off the island. The growing global cannabis market provides significant opportunity for economic development in the Isle of Man, with the global market forecasted to account for USD 82.19 billion by 2027 growing at a CAGR of 20.25% between 2020-2017, as increasing awareness about the advantages of cannabis is expected to create new opportunity for the market.  

Minister for Enterprise, Laurence Skelly MHK, commented: ‘The growing global medicinal cannabis market provides significant opportunity for economic development in the Isle of Man, and the new regulatory framework and guidance will offer stringent and flexible licensing of a broad range of cannabis products, which ranges from outdoor grown industrial hemp to indoor grown medicinal products.

‘The Isle of Man Government has every confidence that the GSC will provide a world class regulatory structure required to regulate this new and complex industry. I am delighted to welcome licence applications and look forward to attracting quality businesses to the Island, transforming the cannabis export sector into a key contributor to the Isle of Man’s post-COVID economic recovery.’

Mark Rutherford, Director of Policy and Legislation at the GSC, commented: ‘The GSC already has a sophisticated framework for supervising gambling. We have worked carefully to apply the best of that framework to the risks in the new sector and we have educated ourselves in the technical areas that are new to us. What we now have will ensure that all stakeholders will be competent, crime free and capable of building a sector that is safe, trusted and efficient.

‘As regulators, we aspire to put our regulatory umbrella above as many consumers as possible so that they can benefit from regulations that are well thought out and properly supervised. Years of prohibition mean that the markets in which our licensees will be participating are still in their infancy and still contain many uncertainties. To address this situation, it is our aim to ensure that consumers who purchase Isle of Man products will be able to understand exactly what their product contains through accurate labelling and independent testing.

‘The GSC recognises there are many stakeholders in this newly created field and intends to extend its ethos of cooperation with other government authorities into its approach to cannabis regulation.’ 

The Isle of Man’s regulations are aligned with current UK cannabis regulation and practice and do not change the Isle of Man’s domestic policy toward the use of cannabis by residents.