Cannabis licences and convictions (FOI)

Request

Residents in Jersey who are prescribed medicinal cannabis following a consultation with a UK doctor must apply for an importation license for the drug, which is then dispensed by a UK pharmacy. 

The number of importation licenses issued is logged by the Government. 

A

How many importation licenses were granted to individuals in Jersey in 2022? What was the total granted in the first three months of 2023? Separate numbers for each, please. 

B

What was the total amount of marijuana - in kilograms - imported into Jersey in 2022? What was the monetary value of this cannabis?

C

What was the number of Jersey residents that were prescribed medical cannabis during 2022 and during the first three months of 2023?

D

What was the number of people convicted for possession of cannabis in Jersey courts during 2022 and during the first three months of 2023?

Response

A

The number of licences granted for medicinal cannabis importation in 2022 has been provided in response to a previous Freedom of Information request, published on www.gov.je in March 2023:

Import licences for Medicinal Cannabis in 2022 (FOI)

As this information is available elsewhere, Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

The table below shows the number of import licences issued per month for medicinal cannabis in the first quarter of 2023:

B

The volume of medicinal cannabis imported into Jersey through 2022 has been provided in response to previous Freedom of Information requests, published on www.gov.je in September 2022 and March 2023:

Medicinal Cannabis importation figures (FOI)

Medicinal Cannabis imports July to December 2022 (FOI)

As this information is available elsewhere, Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

In respect of the monetary value of the medicinal cannabis imported, this information is not held by the Government of Jersey and Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies. Details of the quantity of medicinal cannabis dispensed by Jersey-based pharmacies is shared with the Chief Pharmacist, however costs and charges levied are not. This data would be held and owned by each pharmacy.

C

The Government of Jersey have provided responses to Freedom of Information requests regarding numbers of medicinal cannabis prescriptions previously. These are available on www.gov.je. As this information is accessible by other means, Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Medicinal cannabis prescriptions (FOI)

Import licences for medicinal Cannabis (FOI)

Medicinal cannabis prescriptions (FOI)

D

Number of people convicted for possession of cannabis in Jersey courts during 2022 and during the first three months of 2023:

*2023 figures are for January to March 2023

Articles applied

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.