Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's criteria are for the granting of a greater than 0.2 per cent THC cannabis growing licence; and what her Department's criteria are in determining the notice period provided to a licence holder on removal of a greater than 0.2 per cent THC cannabis growing licence.

High THC (containing more than 0.2% THC) cannabis is licensed for the purpose of research.

All drug licence applications are considered individually on their merits and are issued with time-limited validity, usually one year.

Typically, applicants would need to show they are fit and proper persons to hold a licence, cognisant of their responsibilities in respect of security and record keeping, that to issue a licence falls within any applicable policies and those of any related regulatory regimes. This may include an assessment of whether any product produced by a prospective licensee could lawfully be sold to the public.

In the event a licence is formally revoked the timescale given will be specific to, and proportionate for that case.