Since it was legalised within the UK, the variety of medicinal hashish prescriptions has surged. With demand displaying no indicators of slowing, one firm has ambitions to take manufacturing of the drug to a brand new stage.
The BBC has been given entry to the manufacturing facility on the situation the placement stays secret.
To enter, we have to show our identities, undergo two safe gates, and at last, move via a bulletproof door.
The safety staff is ex-military.
“We have a whole lot of CCTV cameras across the place – all infrared,” says James Leavesley, one of many founders of Dalgety.
According to the corporate, this hi-tech facility is the primary within the UK the place hashish might be grown, packaged and bought on to pharmacies from a single location.
James first grew to become thinking about rising authorized hashish six years in the past.
Although he comes from an agricultural background, for a few years he labored within the oil and fuel business.
In 2018, when cannabis was legalised for medicinal use in the UK, the obvious demand for the drug caught his consideration.
“There was a authorities survey displaying there are 1.8 million folks within the UK sourcing illicit hashish to assist alleviate their medical circumstances,” he says.
That similar yr, he mentioned the problem whereas sitting across the dinner desk together with his father and a household buddy.
The buddy revealed he was additionally eager to get into the hashish sector – so that they determined to enter enterprise collectively, and fashioned Dalgety.
Crucially nevertheless, they wanted somebody who had real-world expertise of manufacturing hashish on a big scale.
They seemed to Canada, the place the drug has been authorized since 2018.
“We knew we wished to go and look exterior the UK for a talented grower and Canada has been on the forefront of this for therefore lengthy,” says James.
“Growing hashish is totally totally different to every other crop actually and we wished any individual who had expertise.”
After intensive analysis, they determined to headhunt a grower known as Brady Green.
Brady had beforehand designed and arrange a number of licensed hashish amenities in his native nation, and was famend for his work, says James.
He acted as a guide for the corporate for 3 years, earlier than being recruited as their head grower.
Brady went on to design your complete set-up, together with the strong safety wanted to guard the positioning.
“We have numerous entry management factors, restricted entry [controlling] which workers and guests can go to sure areas,” provides James.
“It’s actually vital for the quantity of hashish that we’re rising on web site that the UK Home Office have consolation that we take our safety measures significantly.”
Despite the massive funding for James and his enterprise companions, their efforts got here with no assure of success.
Growing and promoting hashish legally requires licences from the Home Office and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Cannabis additionally must be grown to a sure commonplace, and despatched away for testing earlier than it may be permitted on the market.
But James and his companions had been satisfied it was definitely worth the danger, given the sturdy progress of markets in nations like Canada, the US and Germany.
“We knew that the demand for the product was going to be there,” says James.
In January 2023, Dalgety secured a Home Office licence to develop hashish, and in April that yr they started cultivating.
The crops grown had been clones – genetically similar – however regardless of this, a number of batches nonetheless needed to be examined to make sure the product was constant.
In whole, greater than 600 samples had been despatched to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The enterprise had spent £8m to £10m to succeed in this level, so the stakes had been excessive.
Inside the manufacturing facility
I’m anticipating to stroll right into a cavernous room stuffed with hashish crops, and an awesome scent.
Instead, I discover a sequence of hospital-style corridors, every resulting in a number of small laboratories.
“The lighting has been bespoke-made, and we really create synthetic wind within the room to make sure there aren’t any microclimates,” James says.
It’s so vibrant, we’re issued a pair of specially-made glasses to guard our eyes.
James explains it takes about 12 to 14 weeks to create the completed product.
Two weeks of that’s spent within the drying room. As the door slides open, the environment are notably totally different – darker and cooler.
Once dried, the crops should be ready earlier than being packaged.
James takes us into a bigger lab the place there are six folks, suited up in overalls, hair nets and gloves.
They have been handpicked as a result of their expertise in agriculture, or curiosity within the enterprise.
The flowers will go on to be packaged and despatched to sufferers.
‘Two industries in a single’
In September this yr, James and the staff secured their second licence, which gave them permission to promote hashish.
James believes the problem of getting each licences is the rationale no-one else has been in a position to construct an “all-in-one” facility.
“It’s nearly two industries mixed into one, so it is an agricultural enterprise and it is a medical and pharmaceutical enterprise as properly, and most of the people have the power to concentrate on one or the opposite however not each,” he says.
The firm goals to take its product to market in January. By this level, James says they are going to be capable of produce sufficient for 4,000 prescriptions a month – and the corporate already has a partnership with prescribers and clinics.
There are presently about 50,000 customers of medicinal hashish, receiving prescriptions from 33 non-public pharmacies.
However, very few people are being given the drug on the NHS.
The purpose for that is that not all medicinal hashish merchandise are permitted to be used by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Those that are, solely use sure elements of the plant.
Specialist NHS medical doctors can prescribe unapproved merchandise in the event that they suppose the affected person will profit, however they need to ask NHS England to pay for particular person instances and are sometimes turned down.
Private specialists can prescribe merchandise unapproved by the NHS, however this usually comes at a excessive value for sufferers.
A gram of authorized medicinal hashish in flower type prices between £5 and £10.
With a mean affected person consuming 0.5g a day, this will add as much as as a lot as £150 per 30 days.
The common value of unlawful hashish is extensively reported to be about £10 per gram.
But authorized clinics additionally require sufferers to attend common check-ups, which might value a minimal of £180 a yr.
To qualify for a prescription via authorized medicinal clinics, sufferers have to have first tried different medicines with out success.
The Department of Health and Social Care stated there was a necessity for extra analysis on the consequences of medical hashish earlier than any adjustments might be made to the way it was prescribed on the NHS.
A spokesperson for NHS England stated: “The NHS already provides a number of licensed cannabis-based remedies which were confirmed to be clinically efficient, permitted by the medicines regulator and really useful by NICE.
“Many medical doctors {and professional} our bodies rightly stay involved about unlicensed merchandise, and producers ought to interact with the UK medicines regulatory course of to hunt a licence and supply medical doctors with the arrogance to make use of their merchandise.”
Who makes use of medicinal hashish?
Laura, a trainer from Nottinghamshire, has purchased black market hashish previously to assist with numerous medical circumstances.
“Mostly musculoskeletal, however I’ve widespread nerve harm,” she says. “Lots of issues occurring, which trigger me day by day ache and difficulties with mobility.”
Laura shouldn’t be her actual identify – she has chosen to remain nameless as a result of stigma of utilizing the drug.
Her circumstances had been so painful she was prescribed the strongest of medicine, together with ketamine.
Having been referred to a specialist physician, it was recommended she may need to look into utilizing hashish.
“I needed to determine if I wished to do one thing that will put my profession in jeopardy or really feel properly,” she says.
She began utilizing hashish illegally, however was apprehensive about not solely the legality, but in addition the security.
“You’re speaking about medicine you purchase off the road, you do not know what pressure they’re, you do not know the energy of them,” she says.
When authorized hashish pharmacies emerged, Laura utilized for a prescription.
Having tried a few totally different firms, she now makes use of a UK-based pharmacy that operates on-line.
She says she’s not involved about uncomfortable side effects generally related to the drug – resembling impaired considering or reminiscence issues – as a result of authorized hashish is grown in clear circumstances, whereas the black market product can include contaminants.
And as a result of the drug is prescribed and monitored by a physician, she says her use is properly managed.
But if there turned out to be any long-term negatives, she feels the advantages would overshadow them.
“I would not need to be with out it as I’d be in a lot ache,” she says. “If I get up late and I have never had any, I can begin to really feel the ache creeping in.”
Despite the aid hashish offers her, Laura is unable to inform anybody past her shut household and mates.
“I do nonetheless really feel a bit humorous doing it in public,” she says. “I discover myself hiding away with my moveable vaporiser to fill it or open my tubs of remedy. There is a matter that many suppose everybody who takes marijuana is a stoner.”
