Standing knee deep in a sea of slender serrated leaves,
the occasional poppy head or daisy gently tapping at the swaying hemp stems, it was difficult to process the news that the Home Office had decided to revoke the license for us to grow hemp for our home farm in Oxfordshire. After legal advice and with heavy hearts, we’ve been forced to destroy our crop but whilst this is devastating, we also look ahead … always forward!
This decision has far-reaching impact on our co-operative and all its operations, on us as a community and on all of our customers and volunteers who help to keep our co-operative alive. Hempen is a beautiful hive of activity and hope. It is a place where we keep in focus the difficult world that we live in, but also where we are dedicated to farming a plant with so much hope to offer in these troubled times. Farming hemp is good for us and for the land we live on. This news only strengthens our resolve to reverse this decision, and raise awareness about the incredible and diverse ways that the hemp plant can help us, our community and our planet. As one of our co-op members Ben said today, “these hemp plants will die, but we hope that the injustice of this nonsensical ruling will enable more hemp plants to grow in the future.”
Hempen is now seeking legal advice on how to respond to the licence denial. We hope to appeal the decision as well as continue to work on a wider campaign to support British farmers to grow industrial hemp and save UK CBD production.
The news is a shock to us all, but even before the dust has settled, all of us at Hempen have doubled down on our efforts to protect our home and our mission. Our co-operative exists thanks to the generous support of all our customers and volunteers. In these difficult times, this has never been more the case. It has been so heart warming to see the love and concern you’ve been sending our way with so many offers of help. There are many ways you can continue to support us in our work and mission:
Though our crop is destroyed, our products aren’t. For now, you can still buy our full range of products through the website, at our regular farmers markets and stockists. We are also planning new products going forwards, including certified organic CBD, and will update you soon. This keeps a steady income flow to help move us forwards, and fund our campaign costs. If you know of people able to offer legal support, help with funding our legal fees or friendly journalists and politicians then we’d really like to hear from you, on info@hempen.co.uk
Lastly, if you haven’t already, please sign this petition aiming to change the hemp licensing hypocrisy:
https://www.change.org/p/department-of-food-and-agriculture-change-the-hemp-license-hypocrisy
Always forwards!
With love and gratitude, Hempen
11 Responses
I’m so sorry. I simply cannot understand the barbaric behaviour of the home office.
Keep fighting and never give up.
Hi I’m so sorry to hear this news, what about starting a petition ?
Thank you , after fully reading through your article I have found the link and shared ?
So sorry to hear this news Hempen. Your project is a ray of light for all the planet. Keep the fight up hemp growing should be totally free and legal and part of global need for carbon capture which the Marvelous hemp plant does so quick and well. Not to mention all the wonderful benefits of the plant. Appeal and speak out against the total injustice of there rigged decision. Love you all ❤️❤️
Please press on with this for all of us. To find such a fantastic locally grown product that can help so many people and animals is a rarely, we hope by next year Hempen will be up and running again and you will be compensated heavily for your loss if yield in the meantime, praying for a positive outcome!
Can’t you take the home office to court for this, surely you’ve got so many things in yr favour, for instance, drugs ministers hypocracy, theresa mays husbands shares, the fact that Cannabis is medicine and can be used as an industrial material etc etc etc ??
Take them to court.
This is really sad and shocking , I have shared the petition , but that doesn’t seem like enough. It makes me very angry to see this crop destroyed. You have loads of support and love here xxxx
Ask Vandana Shiva to help you, she is amazing and so are all of you’s xX
Vested interests from our corrupt political system.
Drax power station comes to mind…
If we trade with the yanks it will be worse.