Proposed Budget (Government Plan) 2026-2029 (P.70/2025): Thirtieth amendment. No Agricultural Loans for Cannabis-based products
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STATES OF JERSEY
PROPOSED BUDGET (GOVERNMENT PLAN) 2026-2029 (P.70/2025): THIRTIETH AMENDMENT
NO AGRICULTURAL LOANS FOR CANNABIS-BASED PRODUCTS
Lodged au Greffe on 24th November 2025 by Deputy K.M. Wilson of St. Clement Earliest date for debate: 8th December 2025
STATES GREFFE
2025 P.70 Amd.(30)
PROPOSED BUDGET (GOVERNMENT PLAN) 2026-2029 (P.70/2025): THIRTIETH AMENDMENT
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1 PAGE 2, PARAGRAPH (b)(vi) –
After the words "in excess of estimates provided in this plan", insert the words –
", provided that no Agricultural Loans are to be given for the purpose of supporting the cultivation in Jersey of cannabis-based products for medicinal use".
DEPUTY K.M. WILSON OF ST. CLEMENT
Note: After this amendment, the proposition would read as follows –
THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion
- In accordance with Article 16 of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019 (the Law) to approve an amendment to the Government Plan 2025 – 2028 (entitled "Budget 2025 – 2028") to a reduction in the 2025 head of expenditure "Grants to States Funds" as included in Table 5(i) Revenue Heads of Expenditure of that Government Plan from £119,821,000 to £69,821,000.
- To receive the Government Plan 2026 – 2029 (entitled "Budget 2026-2029") specified in Article 9(1) of the Law and specifically –
- to approve the estimate of total States income to be paid into the Consolidated Fund in 2026 as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 1 to the Report, which is inclusive of the proposed taxation and impôts duties changes outlined in the Government Plan, in line with Article 9(2)(a) of the Law.
- to refer to their Act dated 24th June 2003 in which they approved that no new user pays' charges be introduced without any such charge receiving prior in principle approval by the States Assembly and accordingly to approve the introduction of two new charges, to be levied by Health and Care Jersey to promote appropriate use of the Emergency Department and for repeated non-attendance of outpatient appointments, detailed in the section entitled "Departmental Income Sources" as set out in the Appendix to the accompanying Report.
- to approve the proposed Changes to Approval for financing/borrowing for 2026, as shown in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 2 to the Report, which may be obtained by the Minister for Treasury and Resources, as and when required, in line with Article 9 (2)(c) of the Law, of up to those revised approval amounts.
- to approve the transfers from one States fund to another for 2026 of up to and including the amounts set in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 3 in line with Article 9(2)(b) of the Law.
- to approve a transfer from the Consolidated Fund to the Stabilisation Fund in 2026 of up to £50 million, subject to a decision of the Minister for Treasury and Resources based on the availability of funds in the Consolidated Fund as at 31st December 2025 in excess of the estimates provided in this plan, or from budgeted underspends identified before 31st December 2026.
- to approve a transfer from the Consolidated Fund to the Agricultural Loans Fund in 2026 of up to £5 million, subject to a decision of the Minister for Treasury and Resources based on availability of funds in the Consolidated Fund as at 31st December 2025 in excess of estimates provided in this plan, provided that no Agricultural Loans are to be given for the purpose of supporting the cultivation in Jersey of cannabis-based products for medicinal use.
- to approve each major project that is to be started or continued in 2026 and the total cost of each such project and any amendments to the proposed total cost of a major project under a previously approved Government Plan, in line with Article 9(2)(d), (e) and (f) of the Law and as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 4 to the Report.
viii. to approve the proposed amount to be appropriated from the
Consolidated Fund for 2026, for each head of expenditure, being gross expenditure less estimated income (if any), in line with Articles 9(2)(g), 10(1) and 10(2) of the Law, and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Tables 5(i) and (ii) of the Report.
- to approve the estimated income, being estimated gross income less expenditure, that each States trading operation will pay into its trading fund in 2026 in line with Article 9(2)(h) of the Law and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 6 to the Report.
- to approve the proposed amount to be appropriated from each States trading operation's trading fund for 2026 for each head of expenditure in line with Article 9(2)(i) of the Law and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 7 to the Report.
- to approve the estimated income and expenditure proposals for the Climate Emergency Fund for 2026 as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 8 to the Report.
- to approve, in accordance with Article 9(1) of the Law, the Government Plan 2026-2029, as set in the Appendix to the accompanying Report.
Page - 3
P.70/2025 Amd.(30)
REPORT
This amendment builds on Deputy Jeune s amendment to P51/2024 amendment 24 (2nd amendment) to remove any possibility that the Agricultural Loans Scheme could be used to provide publicly funded financial assistance to growers of medicinal cannabis in the island.
Supporting medical cannabis cultivation and related activities is a high risk commercially driven business. Using public funds for this purpose is misaligned with Jerseys most pressing public health and environmental health needs, particularly those relating to people experiencing severe mental illness as consumers of medicinal cannabis products and climate change.
The amendment ensures that public funds, loan guarantees, or other financial supports cannot be directed towards the cultivation, processing, manufacture, or commercialisation of medicinal cannabis.
The intention is to protect the purpose of the Agricultural Loans Scheme, which is to support traditional agriculture, horticulture, and food production, and to ensure that public funds are not used to subsidise medicinal cannabis operations but instead focused on supporting food resilience and climate change initiatives in the island. Cannabis is not equivalent to tomatoes or flowers it has active pharmacological compounds which have medicinal effects and clear risks if misused. Growing a controlled drug for medical use is pharmaceutical manufacturing and should not be rebadged" as a horticultural product simply to justify public subsidy. Growing a controlled drug for medical use is pharmaceutical manufacturing and should not be rebadged" as a horticultural product simply to justify public subsidy.
This amendment does not prevent the private medicinal cannabis sector from operating within existing legal frameworks; it simply ensures that such activities cannot access publicly supported agricultural finance.
Until the Assembly has full visibility of the costs relevant to establishing a medicinal cannabis industry it is reasonable to propose it is not supported by the agricultural loans facility which should instead focus on food-producing agriculture and initiatives aimed at improving soil and nutritional health and the impact of climate change.
Financial and staffing implications
There no financial or staffing implications arising from this amendment.
Children's Rights Impact Assessment
I consider that this proposition (amendment) has no direct or indirect impact on children and that the duty to have due regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child does not arise. Accordingly, a Children's Rights Impact Assessment is not required under the Children (Convention Rights) (Jersey) Law 2022.