The Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) is important for control of illicit activities, but we do not see how hemp or regulated cannabis should be subject to POCA in a day and age where medical cannabis is finally finding emancipation from arcane and wrongfully applied international laws. Let’s work together to release cannabis from the constraints of POCA worldwide. And let’s work together to unlock the economic potential in the UK that is the hemp and regulated medical cannabis industries.
Game-changing ACMD news for industrial hemp — But there’s a catch. Yesterday, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) recommended increasing the permissible THC level in industrial hemp from 0.2% to 0.3%. This brings the UK in line with international standards, including the US and parts of Europe. It’s a huge win for the hemp industry, making cultivation more economically viable by reducing the risk of crop destruction due to environmental factors like rising temperatures. Hemp is one of the most powerful tools we have to fight climate change—sequestering up to four times more carbon per hectare than trees. And it’s ready to be deployed across the UK today. This reform opens doors for investment in sustainable sectors like construction, textiles, and bio-based products, while revitalising rural economies. But here’s the catch: the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) is still holding us back. POCA’s stringent anti-money laundering provisions classify revenues from hemp-related activities as “criminal property” if those activities would be illegal in the UK—even if they’re legal abroad. For example, if a business legally earns revenue from hemp in Canada or the US (where hemp regulations differ), UK law still considers those earnings “criminal” under POCA, because certain hemp-related activities (like exceeding THC limits) remain illegal in the UK. This creates significant barriers for investors and financial institutions, who face legal risks when dealing with funds from hemp or cannabis-related businesses, regardless of the legality in their country of origin. Without clear exceptions, this outdated law continues to block much-needed inward investment in a climate-positive industry that could create up to 20,000 direct jobs and support 200,000 livelihoods in the UK. We need POCA reform now to unlock the full potential of industrial hemp. Without it, this carbon-sequestering, job-creating, and tax-generating industry will remain stifled by outdated regulations. The technology and solutions exist—let’s not allow red tape to stop us from making them a reality. Let’s push for change and let hemp do its job. #IndustrialHemp #POCAReform #GreenEconomy