‘More Cannabis Than Colombia’: How Jersey is Reshaping European Supply Chains
The Channel Island of Jersey supplied Germany’s medical cannabis market with more flower than Colombia last year, recent data shows.
All exports came from one single cultivator, accounting for around 90% of the island’s total output and putting Jersey on the map as one of the leading producers of medical cannabis per capita.
Since the introduction of Germany’s cannabis reforms in April 2024, which partially legalised adult-use and simplified access for patients, the country has seen a surge in demand for prescriptions, solidifying its position as Europe’s largest and most developed market.
Data released by Germany’s Ministry of Health in March shows imports of medical cannabis surpassed 200 tonnes for the first time last year, nearly triple 2024’s total.
But the figures also point to subtle changes in supply chain dynamics.
While overall imports fell by approximately 4.5% in the final quarter, exports from the UK (including the British Channel Islands) increased by more than 11 times year-on-year, reaching over 1,500kg in Q4, the highest quarterly total on record.
Speaking to Business of Cannabis previously, analysts at Prohibition Partners identified “stronger supply chains” emerging from UK exporters — and “primarily Jersey”.
Jersey’s growing role in European supply
Over the last two years, the small Channel Island of Jersey, a self-governing British Crown Dependency between the UK and France, has quietly become a hub for medical cannabis manufacturing.
According to Steven Tan, CEO of Northern Leaf, which operates the largest EU-GMP facility on the island, it is now one of Europe’s leading producers.
The company, which produces bulk flower API for use in finished cannabis-based medicines, is one of six licensed producers in the island but accounts for an estimated 90% of all current medical cannabis production, all of which is exported to European markets such as the UK and Germany.
In 2025, the company supplied 3,590kg to Germany, making it the largest exporter of UK-produced medical cannabis flower into the German market.
Turnaround success
Tan, who brings 15 years of experience in the cannabis industry, specialising in genetics and large-scale cultivation, was appointed CEO in 2024 following a change in management and ownership at the company.
Drawing on his unique global network and extensive restructuring experience, he has successfully led Northern Leaf through an impressive operational and financial turnaround, increasing capacity from 25% to 75% at its 100,000 sq ft facility, resulting in a fivefold increase in revenue.
Jersey’s medical cannabis industry benefits from a unique regulatory and geographical landscape, Tan says, with what he believes to be the fastest export permit turnaround globally, and a two-hour ferry journey to mainland France, meaning shipments can arrive in Germany as a direct route in 36 hours.
Rapid export certification, quick access to international markets, and strong reliability and responsiveness are crucial factors for ensuring medical cannabis flower remains of a consistent quality and freshness throughout the distribution process.
These factors also enable the company to address what Tan sees as a key structural challenge in the European sector, where many products are still imported from Canada, providing a consistent, reliable, and scalable local supply that can grow and help build global brands.
Source: Business of Cannabis (28 April 2026)