leafie
  • Articles
  • News
  • Culture
  • CBD Guide
  • Product Reviews
  • CBD FAQs
  • Contact us
  • Complaints
  • Privacy policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Advertising
  • Work With Us
453 Likes
2K Followers
618 Followers
leafie
leafie leafie
  • Articles
  • News
  • Culture
  • CBD Guide
  • Product Reviews
  • CBD FAQs
white cliffs of dover
  • Articles

Could Brexit be good for cannabis? This campaign group thinks so

  • Liam O'Dowd
  • December 10, 2020
  • 3 minute read

December 31st will be the end of the transition period of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. Regardless of which side you sit on the Brexit fence, and no matter what you think of the negotiations that still remain unfinished, come January 1st the UK will be trading on different terms.

Prior to polling day, many claims were made about the successful opportunities that lay ahead should voters chose to leave the European Union. While many of those promises now look to have been wildly exaggerated, one group of campaigners and business owners thinks 2021 could be a year of prosperity, should the UK back cannabis.

‘New Leaf Opportunity’ is a coalition of various stakeholders in the growing cannabis industry. Led by advocacy group Volteface, the group features key figures from a number of businesses, including medical cannabis company Kanabo, investment group Spinnaker Opportunities, legal firm Ince and cannabis consultancy group Hanway Associates.

New Leaf Opportunity believe that the UK should focus on becoming a leader in the medical cannabis industry, worth an estimated $16.5 billion in 2019. By backing the industry, they believe the UK could benefit from more jobs opportunities, medical innovations and improved access for patients.

The group has been buoyed by news that medical cannabis companies have been given the green light to float on the London Stock Exchange. 

Volteface Director Paul North said: “The cannabis industry is ready to attract some much needed revenue into the country. The UK is crying out for emerging industries, jobs and foreign investment – we believe the cannabis industry can deliver all of these in 2021. Opening our doors for investment will improve the market for medical cannabis patients and the emerging wellness market.”

The UK has long been a leader in academia and scientific research, and those working in cannabis R&D believe that money raised through the stock market will further innovations in the cannabinoid industry, improving the variety of products and patient access costs. Allowing medical cannabis companies to list on the LSE is a signal that the UK is ready to open its doors, and the group have highlighted key benefits beyond investment opportunity including job creation, medical innovations and improved access for patients.

News of the LSE accepting cannabis companies could be very timely too for the country. Faced with rising costs from the COVID crisis, the government is desperately scouring the countries business community for emerging opportunities. Opening up the cannabis industry could raise some much needed revenue for the Treasury, as the UK faces a ‘double whammy’ hit of Covid expenses and the potential fall-out from Brexit.

Rob Jappie, Partner at Ince said: “It has been a challenging year for everybody, but 2021 is looking bright for the European cannabis sector. Recent decisions in the ECJ, the European Commission and the UNODC all point to an industry which is heading in the right direction. With the introduction of further regulation, infrastructure and education, all the building blocks are falling into place for a competitive and stable market, where consumers and patients have access to the most effective cannabis derived products and medications. By creating a regulatory environment which allows the industry to flourish, the UK can become the leading jurisdiction for cannabis business.”

Public support for cannabis in the United Kingdom remains high, with YouGov polls showing that only 24% of people wish for cannabis to remain illegal. Now is the time for the Government to deliver on its promises that the UK could ‘make it’s own laws’ once we left the EU, and back this profitable and popular plant. 

 



Total
36
Shares
Share 36
Tweet 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Avatar
Liam O'Dowd

Liam is leafie's editor at large. His love affair with CBD started when he suggested it to a family member to help with an illness. Curious, he couldn't wait to try it himself, and found its anti inflammatory properties to be a godsend.

Previous Article
woman with anxiety
  • Articles

Can CBD or cannabis help with OCD?

  • Phoebe Ford
  • December 10, 2020
Read Story
Next Article
HBHM CBD brand
  • Articles

The CBD brands we’re watching this month

  • Hayley Leaver
  • December 12, 2020
Read Story
You May Also Like
dr anthony ordman
Read Story
  • Articles

Interview with the UK’s leading pain specialist, Dr Anthony Ordman

  • Lotte Evans
  • November 27, 2020
Dispensary style cannabis in mylar bags
Read Story
  • Articles

The rise of ‘fancy bag’ cannabis in the UK

  • Thomas Hobbs
  • April 9, 2021
pile of cbd flowers or cbd buds
Read Story
  • Articles

Is CBD flower legal in the UK?

  • Liam O'Dowd
  • February 5, 2021
sign outside newsagent
Read Story
  • Articles

The British media has a problem with cannabis

  • Liam O'Dowd
  • December 20, 2020
Read Story
  • Articles

An interview with young entrepreneur Annabel Hill

  • Lotte Evans
  • January 14, 2021
Carly Barton, founder of Cancard
Read Story
  • Articles

Medical cannabis cards are coming – Carly Barton interview

  • Hayley Leaver
  • November 20, 2020
Read Story
  • Articles

Cali-sober, what does it mean?

  • Lotte Evans
  • April 7, 2021
close up of handcuffs on mans wrists
Read Story
  • Articles

West Midlands Police to stop criminalising cannabis users

  • Phoebe Ford
  • November 6, 2020
Read Story
  • Articles

The groups aiming to legalise cannabis in the UK

  • Kevin Dinneen
  • March 26, 2021
Latest News
  • psilocybin mushroom in human hand close-up 1
    Psilocybin found to perform ‘just as well’ as conventional antidepressants
    • April 15, 2021
  • swiss flag 2
    Switzerland to trial legal cannabis market
    • April 14, 2021
  • 3
    52% of Britons support the legalisation of cannabis in the UK
    • April 6, 2021
  • Sadiq Khan Mayor of London 4
    Mayor of London ‘could legalise cannabis’ if re-elected
    • April 6, 2021
  • young black men being stopped and searched by police in london 5
    ‘Decriminalise cannabis’ government race report recommends
    • April 1, 2021
ADVERTISMENT
Popular Articles
  • cannabis being weighed in a shop
    Could Coronavirus lead to legal cannabis in the UK?
    • April 21, 2020
  • indoor legal cannabis farm
    The Great British cannabis con
    • July 9, 2020
  • selection of cannabis in a dispensary
    5 ways the UK could legalise cannabis
    • July 2, 2020
ADVERTISMENT

Sign up to our newsletter to get the best CBD and cannabis articles in your inbox once a week


impress logo
leafie is a ≠ publication
© doesnotequal 2021. All rights reserved

Input your search keywords and press Enter.