Bad weather is good at highlighting poor clothing choices. I'd chosen to wear walking boots for my trip to Margent Farm as it was a wet summer's day. But as owner Steve Barron walked me through the rain-soaked, knee-high grass surrounding one of his fields, and cold water began leeching up my jeans, I saw the wisdom of his decision to wear Wellingtons.
Steve's 21-hectare farm in Cambridgeshire used to grow wheat but, since he took over in 2016, it has become home to a different crop. When I visited in June 2021, the plants sown just a few weeks earlier were already a metre high in places. Although difficult to identify from a distance, up close they were unmistakable: Steve was growing cannabis.
LETTER OF THE LAW
Cannabis is a Class B drug and has been a controlled substance in Britain since 1928. As such, it's unlawful to possess, supply, produce, import or export the drug - and it is an offence to cultivate cannabis plants. But Steve is in no danger of being arrested, because not all cannabis plants are illegal to grow.
This story is from the September 2022 edition of BBC Countryfile Magazine.
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This story is from the September 2022 edition of BBC Countryfile Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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