Published: | Updated:

WHICH COUNTRY IS THE BIGGEST CANNABIS PRODUCER?

The UK is the world's biggest producer of medical cannabis.

Britain produced 95 tonnes of legal marijuana in 2016, making up 44.9 per cent of the world's total, according to figures from the UN's International Narcotics Control Board.

This is more than double the UK's 42-tonne cannabis production in 2015, the data adds.

Of the marijuana produced, 2.1 tonnes were exported from the UK in 2016, making up 67.7 per cent of the global total, the figures show.

Despite this, medical cannabis licensed in other countries remains illegal in the UK even if deemed appropriate by a doctor.

Pro-legislation campaigners have described patients' denied access to medical marijuana as 'unethical' and 'a violation of the fundamental right to health'. 

Steve Rolles, a senior policy analyst at drug-relation think tank Transform, said: 'It is scandalous and untenable for the UK government to maintain that cannabis has no medical uses, at the same time as licensing the world's biggest government-approved medical-cannabis production and export market.' 

Advertisement

Read articles that feature this panel

Ocado is the first British supermarket to sell cannabis-infused water

From today, the UK-based site will sell Love Hemp Water, which is available from £1.29 and contains the cannabis-derived nutritional...

Most watched News videos