And, to cap it all some ill-informed unsolicited advice from some consultants to put the icing on the cake.
We recorded our interview with Craig Dempster commercial director of Jersey Hemp on Tuesday 9 April 2024 and on the following day the following press release (below) appeared in our inbox from the UK Govt in what looks to me like an unashamed vote garnering exercise by the Tory party in their run up to as an yet uncalled general election in the UK .
Not only has Craig and his business partners had icing put on their cake (one of them is a baker so the analogy is appropriate) they have now had salt rubbed into their wounds by essentially the same people who spent a good deal of last year ensuring that they couldn’t run what was most likely the most compliant legal hemp business in the UK.
Once again you couldn’t make this stuff up.
Here, also, is our story about the consultants who got it completely wrong, as they said to him via their “report”… Be Careful Who You Are Listening To
Jersey Hemp Decide To Ignore Advice Of Cannabis Consultants & Win Legal Challenge
More Jersey Hemp stories on Cannabis Law Report at
Our conversation includes, amongst other topics…
- Setting up a UK hemp farm and the endless hoop jumping built into the process
- Capital expenditure issues in UK
- Distinction between EU & UK novel foods
- Lack of effective testing of any form in the UK
- Untested CBD imports into the UK mainly from eastern Europe or China using eastern Europe as a transit point
- Jersey govt runs hot then runs cold
- The aggressive and ill-informed UK home office
- The UK government and their laissez faire attitude to the big brand retailers selling CBD
- Unsolicited consultants advice
Here at Karma Koala (cannabis law report) we’re very pleased to say that the only people who come out of this well are the small farm that did their best to produce a world beating product and their UK lawyers who backed them to the hilt.
Craig Dempster / Jersey Hemp
Craig’s background is in finance and business development. After thirteen years in the finance industry, Craig has booted the suit in favour of working with Jersey Hemp, producing something tangible and sustainable; Craig isn’t shy in getting his hands dirty out in the field too. His primary role is to develop Jersey Hemp’s commercial opportunities whilst maintaining the company’s ethos and values.
Also a shout out to the founders and yes when you see their CV’s you really have to wonder about the lens through which government sees things.
David Ryan
Founder / Director
An eco-friendly firefighter with a passion for the environment, David spent ten years working for the States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service after serving as a Royal Marines Commando for six years. His dedication to environmentally friendly solutions was the inspiration for founding Jersey Hemp. David believes that hemp can solve many of the problems that come with modern day living, from the environment to our individual health and wellbeing
Blair Jones
Founder / Director
Blair has been a full-time Firefighter with the States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service for nine years and has worked with the Danish Red Cross helping to provide food and support for refugees. On returning to Jersey, Blair took over the St Ouen’s bakery and continued to run it for 10 years. He is the chief taster of the crop and won’t stop eating it! But with his previous experience as a chef, he knows what tastes good.
