The FSA's latest steer on the UK CBD Industry: A Missed Opportunity or a Deliberate Misstep?
The FSA’s moves this week on CBD products appear, at first glance, to be a step toward regulation and safety. But looking deeper, I see a troubling picture: a well-executed, long-term plan that favours synthetically manufactured isolate CBD products — most of which originate from China — over plant-based, full-spectrum alternatives grown and produced here in the UK.
This isn’t just regulatory oversight. It’s a failure to understand the critical role CBD plays in the lives of patients who rely on it for healthcare and pain relief. Worse still, it’s a vote against the very things that could revitalise rural economies and place the UK at the forefront of the global cannabis industry:
1. Pollinators: Hemp supports biodiversity by providing vital resources for pollinators.
2. Soil Health: Modern crop rotation and soil rejuvenation are built into hemp’s DNA.
3. Jobs: Hemp-based CBD production can create much-needed local jobs, from farming to manufacturing.
4. Tax Revenue: A well-regulated cannabis industry could contribute billions to the UK economy.
5. Farmers’ Futures: Hemp is a lifeline for farmers facing the perfect storm of economic pressures.
The world is moving in one direction — embracing the vast economic and environmental opportunities of cannabis and hemp. Yet the UK risks being left behind, with bureaucracy and vested interests creating an uncompetitive market, shutting out innovators and penalising patients.
This isn’t just bad for those who’ve worked tirelessly to build businesses and educate the public. It’s bad for the UK. We’re missing a once-in-a-generation chance to lead, not follow.
If we get this wrong, we’ll lose the cannabis and hemp industry to countries that are more competitive on price, more visionary in policy, and more supportive of their people.
The question isn’t whether we should regulate — it’s how we regulate in a way that builds a strong, sustainable industry at home.
Let’s not squander the opportunity to create something truly transformative. The UK deserves better.
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