The States are asked to decide:-
Whether, after consideration of the Requête entitled ‘Cannabis: establishment of a cross Committee working group to examine regulatory options’ dated 19th January, 2026 they are of the opinion:-
1) To agree in principle that the Bailiwick of Guernsey should properly examine the feasibility risks, and potential benefits of introducing a legal, government-regulated cannabis access framework, beginning with consideration of a time-limited pilot programme, informed by international best practice, including regulated pilot schemes currently operating in Switzerland and the European Union.
2) To establish a multi-Committee working group, comprising:
- one member appointed by the Committee for Home Affairs;
- one member appointed by the Committee for Health & Social Care;
- one member appointed by the Policy & Resources Committee;
- one member appointed by the Committee for Economic Development;
- one member appointed by the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture;
with the Committee for Home Affairs acting as the lead committee, in recognition of its existing responsibilities in respect of licensing, and regulatory administration.
3) To require that the working group:
- engage with local stakeholders, including (but not limited to) the States of Alderney, the cannabis industry, medical professionals, public health experts, third-sector organisations, law enforcement, and individuals with lived experience;
- consult with local and external experts in cannabis regulation, harm reduction, public health, licensing, and compliance;
- examine comparative models from other jurisdictions where regulated cannabis access has been implemented or piloted, with regard to public health outcomes, youth protection, crime reduction, economic impacts, and regulatory cost;
- consider options for licensing taxation, supply controls, quality assurance, advertising restrictions, age limits, and enforcement within a Guernsey context; and
- assess the potential economic, social, health, and criminal justice implications of moving from prohibition to a regulated legal market.
4) To instruct the working group to report back to the States no later than December 2027, with:
- Clear policy options;
- a recommended model for a regulated cannabis regime, including whether and how a pilot programme should be implemented;
- an outline of the legislative and regulatory changes that would be required;
- an assessment of costs, risk, and mitigations; and
- a proposed implementation timetable, should the States resolve to proceed.
5) To direct the Policy & Resources Committee to identify and make available such appropriate administrative and policy support resources as are necessary to enable the effective operation of the cross-Committee working group, within existing budgets wherever possible, and to report any material resource implications alongside the working group’s final report.