United Kingdom: Jeremy Corbyn's son opens a hemp store

Jeremy Corbyn’s son, Tommy Corbyn, has announced the launch of a store specializing in hemp, with the goal of «advancing national understanding» of hemp and cannabis. Tommy Corbyn and his partner, Chloe Kerslake-Smith, will open the store on Stroud Green Road in the Islington neighborhood of London. The shop will feature a collection of products showcasing many of the possible uses of cannabis.

The couple would like to inform prospective clients about the Benefits of Hemp for sustainable development. «We’re trying to show everyone all the things hemp can do, because it’s recyclable, very good for the earth and the climate, and should be decriminalized,» said Chloe Kerslake-Smith. «All the products we sell will be made from hemp, whether it’s hemp seed oil, CBD oil, CBD skincare, hemp-based clothing, lubricant, or gourmet marshmallows.”.

The store will be called the «National Hemp Service,» a rather ironic nod to the National Health Service (also known as the NHS), the British healthcare system. A recent report from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the agency responsible for determining which health products can be funded by the government and overseen by the NHS, had opposed to funding cannabis-based treatments for children and adults suffering from severe epilepsy, under the pretext of a lack of clinical trials and despite patient testimonials. Since medical cannabis is very expensive, doctors and patient advocacy groups were outraged by this announcement, arguing that it amounted to leaving a large number of people to suffer for no valid reason.

The couple also plans to campaign for the legalization of recreational cannabis in the United Kingdom. Jeremy Corbyn, Tommy’s father, has expressed his support for this store project. Jeremy Corbyn recently spoke about young people who now have criminal records simply because they were arrested for cannabis possession. «Criminalizing people for possessing small amounts of cannabis isn’t a particularly good idea and creates major difficulties,» he said. However, his political party, the Labour Party, has not indicated that it would support the legalization of cannabis.