Did you know that you can grow hemp in the UK, but with a catch? Even if you’ve managed to obtain a coveted hemp cultivation licence, only certain parts of the hemp plant can be used. We’ll break down the 2026 hemp cultivation licence changes, the THC limit, what it means for CBD, and why most CBD products sold in the UK come from foreign farms.

Is it Legal to Grow Hemp in the UK?

Yes, you can legally grow hemp in the UK. The Home Office is responsible for issuing hemp cultivation licences, and each grower and site is licensed individually. Hemp growers cannot plant any hemp seed that they want; they must choose from the catalogue of approved seed varieties, all of which are capped at 0.2% THC.

Applicants are checked thoroughly before being granted a licence; they need to provide enhanced DBS checks and the local police should be informed of where they plan to grow. More information can be found by looking at the government’s industrial hemp licensing guidance.

If you grow hemp in the UK, only the seeds and mature stalk fibre are allowed to be harvested, prohibiting the leaves and flowers. Leaves and flowers are classed as “controlled”, and must be retted on site after harvest, or disposed of lawfully.

Seeds and stalks are useful in the production of hemp seed oil, insulation and hempcrete – a form of hemp-based construction material.

What Changed for UK Hemp Growers in 2026?

Generally, licences to grow hemp in the UK from the 2026 season are valid for 6 years – up from 3. A hemp licence that was granted in previous years doesn’t automatically roll over when it expires, so applicants have to reapply and pay again.

Fees for a new hemp cultivation licence are £580, and £326 for a renewal.

Recent changes in the licence are designed to help farmers, such as provisions for allowing farm growers to plant anywhere within the licensed farm, and the extended period of time that the licence covers.

Hemp farmers are getting more support from the government in the form of grants. In DEFRA’s January 2026 grant announcement, £912,259 was allocated to developing high-value hemp varieties better able to cope with changing weather. These climate-resilient hemp varieties can withstand poor land quality, and could offer new income streams from less productive farmland. The grant was given to Precision Plants, with the University of Hertfordshire and Rothamsted Research, and indirectly to the farmers.

Will the UK Hemp THC limit increase to 0.3%?

In a letter dated 11 February 2025, the government announced that it intended to legislate an increase in the THC limit of hemp from 0.2% to 0.3%. However, as of March 2026, no legislation had followed. The British Hemp Alliance (BHA) responded to this delay in April 2026, clarifying that the increase had not been implemented, and that recommendations from the ACMD do not automatically become law.

If the UK were to increase the THC limit as per ACMD advice, this would still only apply to industrial hemp, and leaves and flowers would stay controlled, whatever their THC percentage.

An increased THC limit could have a major impact on the UK hemp industry, offering a wider variety of hemp strain varieties to hemp farmers.

How much Hemp Does the UK Actually Grow?

Hemp cultivation licences grew from 6 in 2013 to 136 in 2023 and dropped to 102 as of November 2025. At the time, the Home Office hemp licence lasted for 3 years, which means that the 102 figure applies to farms from 2023–2025. The Home Office doesn’t publish acreage information, so we don’t know how much volume we could expect all these farms to produce.

Interestingly though, it’s not uncommon for UK hemp buyers to purchase from abroad rather than from domestic hemp farmers. Suffolk-based company Natural Building Systems, which builds hemp homes, imports most of its hemp from France.

Why Can’t UK Farmers Grow Hemp for CBD?

Home Office policy does not cover licences to grow hemp in the UK for the purpose of producing CBD oils from controlled parts of the plant – they won’t be considered under the industrial hemp route. Hemp farmers who want to use the leaves and flowers can apply for a standard cannabis cultivation licence instead. It is more expensive – £4,700 for a new application, compared with £580 for the industrial hemp licence. This is the route used for things like medicines.

From the perspective of the Home Office, it’s nearly impossible to isolate CBD from the cannabis plant without residual traces of controlled cannabinoids like THC.

The industrial hemp licence doesn’t cover CBD, and the cannabis cultivation licence is costly and aimed at other uses like medicines.

Where Does the CBD Sold in the UK Come From?

The BHA says that the UK market relies on imported hemp ingredients.

The Home Office states that finished CBD products must meet the “exempt product” definition and must not exceed 1mg of a controlled drug, like THC, per container. In order to ensure that products meet the requirements, the Home Office expects them to be tested by a UKAS-accredited lab.

CBD oils are made from hemp flowers and leaves, usually grown in Europe or America. Hemp plants in these countries are grown, dried, extracted, refined into CBD isolate and then blended into a carrier oil. Because the hemp flowers and leaves are not permitted for harvest under the industrial hemp licence, much of the time they are handled outside of the UK, and once the finished product meets UK requirements, it can be imported.

What Should You Know Before Trying CBD?

Trusted suppliers of CBD will usually provide a certificate of analysis (COA) for each product so you can check THC and other controlled cannabinoid percentages.

The FSA is currently in the process of authorising the first Novel Food applications. CBD manufacturers applied to validate their products a few years ago, and soon (maybe even by the time you read this) you can check with the FSA to see if a particular CBD product has been approved by them.

All our CBD oils have had their Novel Food applications filed with the FSA, and come with a COA to show THC and other controlled cannabinoid levels.

Before taking any CBD product, you should always consult your GP. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive, you should not consume CBD.

Conclusion

You can legally grow hemp in the UK; however, only for the harvest of seed and fibre, which does limit its potential use cases. Because UK hemp farmers cannot harvest the flowers and leaves, CBD manufacturers cannot operate entirely out of the UK. They must cultivate, harvest and refine their CBD products elsewhere, and can legally import CBD products once they meet legal requirements. The government's recent changes to hemp licensing, such as extended duration and discussing potential THC limit changes, are positive and show that the industry might see new opportunities in the future.