Welcome to Weed Island
How the tiny, self-governing British island of Jersey unintentionally became Europe’s front line in the multibillion-dollar global cannabis industry.
Welcome to Weed Island, also known as Jersey, a small island located 14 miles off the coast of France and governed as a Crown Dependency of the United Kingdom. Despite its small size, Jersey has made a significant impact on the medical cannabis industry, with the majority of its production coming from one company, Northern Leaf.
The company's CEO, Tan, sees immense potential in the island's cannabis industry, comparing it to the success of Jersey Royal potatoes, which generated £40 million in 2025. To achieve this, Tan is leveraging the unique regulatory environment of Jersey, which allows the island to make its own laws and has a reputation as a tax haven.
The island legalized medical cannabis in 2019, leading to the establishment of five private clinics. Today, 6 percent of the population is prescribed cannabis, which is significantly higher than in Germany and the UK. Northern Leaf, which was struggling after a failed IPO, has seen its capacity increase from 25 percent to 75 percent of the island's growing facilities.
With the potential to become a life sciences hub, not just for cannabis but for pharmaceuticals, Jersey may become a major player in the global cannabis industry.
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- Welcome to Weed Island wired.com
