Hi-de-High

With all the talk about increasing the Island’s population to 100,000 by attracting economically active come-overs, and increasing the annual number of tourists to 500,000, Gallery has looking at those very big numbers. I’m not the only one We’re not the only ones to think that if these workers are going to stay they need housing, entertainment, even shopping opportunities to spend their money on-Island. Those visitors need more than a few bikes and some decent weather – they too need accommodation, entertainment. But what if there’s something the Isle of Man could do to set itself apart, to make itself really different?

You might have heard that the Isle of Man government commissioned a report – more than one actually – from KPMG, a business consultancy which, in its own words, ‘helps clients to meet challenges and respond to opportunities.’ And half way through ‘Our Big Picture’, released in June, the boffins at KPMG in the Crown Dependencies have stuck their necks out with this paragraph:

‘Develop the Island as a location for cannabis-based tourism from neighbouring jurisdictions. While recreational use of cannabis in the UK and Ireland remains illegal, liberation of the law on the Island would attract visitors.’ What they didn’t say was, ‘ker-ching!’

You might roll your eyes, but is this as far out as first it seems? The Isle of Man is setting itself up as a major production centre for cannabis exports: there is already a detailed regulatory framework to allow commercial operators to grow, manufacture, distribute and EXPORT cannabis products under license, and one pharmacy has been awarded a licence to import and dispense certain cannabis products for medicinal use (but only for private prescriptions issued in the UK or other jurisdictions). Yet despite all this it remains illegal to cultivate, produce, supply, possess, import or export cannabis for recreational use. So the Island can export and import MEDICINAL cannabis yet continues to fine and imprison people for growing their own for personal use. Forget the recognisable scent of marijuana, is there a slight whiff of hypocrisy around too?

Cannabis tourism (according to Forbes magazine) is set to be a £17 billion industry so why shouldn’t the Isle of Man cash in? Decriminalising cannabis use for residents would be a start – evidence shows that it is so much less harmful than alcohol, and Gen X, Z and the rest actually drink less than their parents anyway, many of them preferring to chill out with a joint, vape or muffin. And if possession for personal use was decriminalised for residents, then why not go the whole hog and legalise it? And then open the Island up to cannabis tourists too.

The states of the USA which have legalised recreational cannabis could be examples – it is illegal to transport cannabis over state lines (or in our case, the Irish Sea) so imagine a regulated, licensed Dope Shack at the Sea Terminal or Weed Emporium in the Arrivals lounge at the airport – and watch the government rub its hands in glee at the taxes those would bring in.

And other parts of the economy would benefit too. The US website Bud and Breakfast www.budandbreakfast.com links cannabis-using tourists together with sympathetic hotels, inns, residences and resorts: “For too long the only options for responsible cannabis-using travellers were the most basic facilities with minimal features and amenities. Bud and Breakfast goes beyond the hostels and campgrounds to find marijuana lodging that’s equal to the high quality of world-class rooms and accommodation in top vacation destinations.” And a quick look at some of the accommodation listed backs up this claim: yurts, private residences and hotels to upwards of $500 per night – forget the stereotype hippies and dope-heads gathered round the campfire strumming their guitars, these are some high-end, well-off tourists. If the Island was to concentrate on them, the benefits to the tourist economy would go far beyond the few weeks of racing and weatherdependent outdoor pursuits it promotes now. These cannabis tourists might be interested in the racing, they might want to paddle-board in Port Erin, they might want to visit the heritage sites, but most of all they want their cannabis experiences to be safe and legal.

Yes, of course it would have to be carefully regulated but regulations are something the Island is good at. It’s no accident that the licenses being granted to medicinal cannabis exporters and prescribers are regulated by the Gambling Supervision Board – the department (behind) which brought you the thriving E-gaming sector with its myriad regulatory issues crossing International borders.

A Government consultation in 2019 showed strong support for medical cannabis being available to the public from accredited dispensaries. This has been done (in a limited form – one pharmacy, private prescriptions only – and still no sign of Manx Care or the DHSC following the NICE guidelines to GPs on prescribing medical cannabis in the NHS) and a review into illicit drugs on the Island with a specific focus on cannabis has just been announced. This is due to be delivered by Sept 2023 and presented to Tynwald in January 2024. That’s less than two years away. Decriminalising cannabis for personal use might be sooner than you think.

It would be similar to (As with) decriminalising homosexuality in 1992 and decriminalising abortion in 2019 – and would set the Island apart from its neighbours. And just like with homosexuality and abortion, there will be naysayers and objectors but if even KPMG (in the Crown Dependencies) recognises the benefits of cannabis tourism surely the scientists, the psychologists and sociologists and our expert regulators and legislators can see them too.

And if you’re not too busy thinking this’ll never happen, why not let the IOM Government know what you think about cannabis tourism or any other part of the Draft Economic Strategy ‘Our Island, Our Future’? The public consultation is open until 30 September. www.gov.im/economicstrategy

And once you’ve done that sit back, inhale and relaxe.