The Isle of Man Issues the First Medical Cannabis License
The Isle of Man has approved the first license to a company that will grow cannabis and manufacture cannabinoid medicine for the local and international markets. GrowLab Organics (GLO) was issued the license by the island nation’s Gambling Supervision Commission which oversees the industry.
GLO’s CEO, Alex Fray, hailed this milestone as a major development that could potentially transform millions of lives. His company brings together experts in cannabis as well as climate-controlled agriculture to produce elite-quality products with every batch. It also works on a blockchain platform that allows to track every flower from seed to bowl and lets patients evaluate its therapeutic efficacy.
The Most Exciting Opportunity of This Generation
The first cannabis company to operate in the Isle of Man describes itself as inclusive and community-owned. Within the next three years, it will create over 50 jobs. But from these humble beginnings, the sector can go from strength to strength as the sector matures, providing jobs, training opportunities, investments, and taxes. For an island whose population hovers just above 84,000, the cannabis industry can become a major economic boost.
While the local demand for medical cannabis must be tiny, the ability to export it to the UK and other countries may put Manx residents at the forefront of the ‘green revolution’ that Fray described as the most exciting development of this generation.
Cultivation and Export Legal Since 2021
The new laws that make growing and manufacturing cannabis medicine legal in the Isle of Man took effect in January 2021, and the authorities have been taking applications for licenses since June last year. The winning licensee, GLO, hopes that it will be able to cater to Manx patients, reducing their need to procure the medicine from illicit sources.
Currently, Isle of Man’s NHS doesn’t provide medical cannabis nor cover its cost, and there are no doctors who are registered to prescribe it. However, patients can obtain private recommendations, and there is one pharmacy in Onchan that has a license to import and dispense cannabis.
