FACTS ABOUT INDUSTRIAL HEMP LICENSING IN THE UK 2025
If your company or organisation want to cultivate industrial hemp (for seed or stalk) you need to apply for a controlled drugs domestic licence.
The controlled parts of the plant are flowers and leaves. These are controlled under the Misue of Drugs Act 1970. These parts of the plant are not covered under the industrial hemp license.
There needs to be a defined commercial end use and the Home Office only issues licences for cultivation of plants from approved seed types with a THC content not exceeding 0.2%. An example of a defined end use would be “seed for food manufacturing” or “stalk for the manufacturing of fibre” and an example of a variety that conforms to the 0.2% rule would be FINOLA.
Low THC cannabis grown for the commercial production of industrial hemp fibre or the pressing of seed for oil are purposes for which licences may be issued where - after harvesting - non-controlled parts of the plant are used and controlled parts of the plant are retted at the licensed location or otherwise lawfully disposed of.
Links for information from the Home Office are here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/controlled-drugs-industrial-hemp#growing-season---important-dates-for-prospective-applicants
There are two codes that you will need to make a full application. One is from the Home Office (step one) and the other is from Capita (step two).
Step one: Register as a customer with the Home Office using this link: https://eforms.homeoffice.gov.uk/outreach/drugs_registration.ofmlv
This application is NOT the application for cultivation, but need to be completed in order to APPLY for the cultivation license. Once this has been completed you will receive a customer number which you will need when you make the full application. You can apply for your cultivation license on the 2nd January which is when the licensing window opens.
Step two: Apply for your DBS documents to assist you with your DBS checks are here: https://ukhempltd.co.uk/blogs/resources/farming - we spoke to Capita and they told us there is a 6 weeks wait to get an enhanced DBS – its really important that you get you application number when applying – this can be used on your application for a license even before the DBS check is completed – we recommend getting started with the DBS check ASAP – the total cost is £58.
You will need the following to be able to make the application (we recommend getting this in place before the application window opens on 2nd Jan 2025).
- aerial photos and site maps which identify the OS grid references and field numbers
- photos/images of the perimeters of the fields
- photos/images of your record keeping documents
The link for a full application is here: https://eforms.homeoffice.gov.uk/outreach/DrugsConsole.ofml
Important dates:
Thursday 2 January 2025
Applications for licences to cultivate in the 2025 season can be made from this date. Applications received before this date will be rejected.
Friday 28 February 2025
Last date for new prospective growers of ‘industrial hemp’ for seed and/or fibre only to apply to register as a user of our drug licensing portal. If approved, you will be able to apply for a license.
Tuesday 1 April 2025
Last date for first-time or repeat growers of industrial hemp for seed and/or fibre only to submit licence applications. This is so that we can try to reach an initial decision on applications by Wednesday 30 April 2025
Costs:
Total cost for the license is £580, you will only be invoiced if you are successful.
Please get in touch if you want to supply us with seed or you require cultivation seed for the 2025 season. Useful links are here: https://ukhempltd.co.uk/blogs/resources/farming and here:
https://ukhempltd.co.uk/pages/cultivation-seed-varieties
Best of luck, Steve