With the opening of its first legal cannabis cultivation facility, the UK has made significant progress in its medical cannabis business. Operated by Derbyshire company Dalgety, the £10 million site is heavily fortified and designed to address long-standing supply chain issues. In the recent article in DailyMail, Dalgety descrives its path and current activities.
Tucked away in a private area of the Midlands, the state-of-the-art facility aims to improve the quality and security of cannabis-based medications accessible to patients in the United Kingdom.
Safety & security
The 30,000-square-foot complex has more than 150 security cameras, bulletproof glass, and razor wire fencing. A group of former military officers patrols the property. They make sure that facility follows the strict government rules and they protect the valuable crops. The sensitive aspect of cannabis cultivation, even for medical purposes, is highlighted by this increased security.
Despite the UK’s 2018 legalization of medical cannabis, patients have had trouble obtaining reliable, high-quality products because to import dependency. James Leavesley, CEO of Dalgety, pointed out that imported cannabis frequently has poor quality and lengthy delivery times. “Due to a lack of transparency in global supply chains, doctors have reported that supply can be unpredictable and quality varies,” he stated.
Dalgety hopes that domestic cannabis production will simplify distribution. Locally grown cannabis can be given within a month, improving patient access to vital therapies, but imports can take 12 to 20 weeks to reach patients.
Growing medical cannabis
Cannabis for pharmaceutical use needs requires careful and appropriate growth. The plants grow in a relevant laboratory environment and get nutrients twelve times a day. Employees must wear specific safety eyewear because intense LED lighting promotes proper growth.
Before being harvested, each plant reaches a height of six feet after about five months of growth. To maintain potency and quality, the flowers are carefully dried, cured, and hand-trimmed after harvest.
“High quality does not always equate to high yields. To guarantee the greatest possible therapeutic product, we are concentrating on preserving the integrity of the phytochemicals.”
Cannabis: UK developing sector with great opportunity
We could experience growth in the UK within the medical cannabis industry over recent years, with an estimated worth of £2.3billion in 2024, according to industry experts Prohibition Partners. However, a large portion of cannabis for medical purposes is still illegal since there are so few certified providers. Dalgety’s facility, which provides a controlled, lawful alternative, is an important step in closing this gap.
In the UK, obtaining a cultivation license is a difficult task. Dalgety spent more than four years getting cannabis approval from the Home Office and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), demonstrating the industry’s stringent regulatory environment.
More than just a cannabis farm, Dalgety’s state-of-the-art facility represents the UK’s evolving approach to medicinal cannabis. By emphasizing accessibility, transparency, and quality, the business is establishing a new benchmark for the sector.