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WQ.29/2021
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
BY THE CONNÉTABLE OF ST. MARTIN
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 1st FEBRUARY 2021 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 8th FEBRUARY 2021
Question
Will the Minister explain whether Environmental Impact Assessments were undertaken on sites used, or intended to be used, by firms that have recently been awarded licences for the commercial cultivation of medicinal cannabis; and will he state whether the results of any such assessments will be made publicly available?
Answer
The requirements for licenses to cultivate cannabis are a matter for the Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture and do not fall under the portfolio of the Minister for the Environment (the Minister').
In regard to the regulatory aspects which are within the portfolio of the Minister, there are no requirements for an Environmental Impact Assessment under either the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002 or the Planning and Building (Environmental Impact) (Jersey) Order 2006 for the commercial cultivation of medicinal cannabis on existing agricultural land.
This is regarded, in planning terms, as an agricultural activity similar to the growing of any other arable crop. It does not constitute a material change of use of land, or operational development, and it follows that planning permission is not required.
At this moment in time, there have been no planning applications for the commercial cultivation of cannabis which required Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA').
It should be noted that the cultivation and processing of cannabis are considered separately in planning terms. If there were a proposal to process medicinal cannabis this may, depending on the site and other factors, require a planning application which may, in turn, require an EIA if the proposal met the Prescribed development requiring an environment impact statement'.
The planning register which records applications and supporting documentation (which includes EIAs) is already publicly available and can be found on gov.je.