Cannabis production in the UK

Metropolitan Community College (MCC) in Missouri is advancing cannabis education with newly introduced certificate courses designed to prepare students for careers in the burgeoning cannabis industry, which has generated approximately $2.8 billion in sales since 2020. The courses, developed in collaboration with Green Flower, aim to equip students with essential industry knowledge, benefiting nearly 100 participants in the past year. Meanwhile, in the UK, police report a troubling trend of drug gangs exploiting empty commercial properties to establish large-scale cannabis farms, with over 3,000 plants discovered in a former department store in Newport valued at £2 million. The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) highlights that the decline of high street activity has made vacant shops, pubs, and nightclubs attractive to organized crime. Authorities are intensifying operations against these illegal grows, resulting in nearly 1,000 arrests and prosecutions targeting landlords and tradespeople who may facilitate these operations. Chief Constable Richard Lewis emphasized the need for community vigilance as nighttime activity decreases, allowing these operations to go unnoticed.