Post-Brexit labour shortages deal blow to UK cannabis production

The company that owns the UK’s biggest cannabis production site for use in pharmaceuticals has called for changes to immigration policy following labour shortages after it was excluded from a visa scheme for farm workers.

Peter Watson, agriculture director of British Sugar — which grows cannabis for use in epilepsy medicines at Wissington in Norfolk — blamed the recruitment problems on the rules of the seasonal agricultural workers’ scheme.

The labour problems come as investments in cannabis companies soar after several countries, including the UK, legalised the use of medicines using extracts from the plant.