An island-based company aiming to become the first community-owned medicinal cannabis producer in Europe has resubmitted plans for new headquarters near Ronaldsway.

In June 2022 Grow Lab Organics became the first company in the Isle of Man to secure a licence to grow and export medicinal cannabis commercially.

Then, in March 2023, it submitted a planning application to build its headquarters and production facility on land next to the Ronaldsway Aircraft Company (23/00239/B), which it said will create 60 jobs over three years.

The facility would house 22 separate ‘flower’ rooms and six drying rooms, producing more than 20 unique strains of cannabis each year.

But the application has now been resubmitted this week with amendments, which appear to mainly centre around drainage and ecology.

An Arboricultural Impact Assessment was carried out which has identified the need to remove a few trees while a drainage strategy has also been prepared for the site which lies close to the airport.

Planning officials say the extra documents and reports warranted the need for a resubmission of the application.

Grow Lab says it wants to enable patients, who suffer from conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, to live better lives through the power of cannabis.

Tynwald amended the Misuse of Drugs Act in 2020 to provide a legal framework for the development of a cannabis industry in the island.

New regulations were introduced the following year to allow commercial operators to grow, manufacture, distribute and export cannabis products under licence.

Chief executive Alex Fray said he hoped the company would be able to grow its own cannabis products from the site by the summer of 2024. However, that has not been possible and the resubmitted application will have to be granted before further progress can be made.

Grow Lab Organic’s licence approval also includes imports and exports. Mr Fray said this will allow the company to buy quality products from third party producers in other jurisdictions until its own facility is up and running.

An estimated 1.8 million people across the British Isles are using cannabis sourced from the illicit market to treat medical conditions. Medicinal cannabis was legalised in the UK in November 2018.

But Grow Lab said to date there has been limited choice, inconsistent quality and expensive prescriptions.

Grow Lab was founded by Mr Fray and fellow entrepreneurs Charlie Price and Charlie Lyons.

The company has teamed up with medical ID card Cancard, the largest cannabis patient group in Europe. Founder Carly Barton is joining the board as chief community officer.

The resubmitted application will be considered by the planning committee in due course.