Building the Future of the CIC – Pillars, Taskforces & 2026 Vision Update
Following valuable feedback gathered through the June 2025 CIC Members Survey, the Cannabis Industry Council has undertaken a significant restructuring to ensure the organisation is better positioned to deliver meaningful outcomes for members and the wider UK cannabis sector.
Moving away from the previous working group model, the CIC has streamlined its focus into three core pillars, supported by focused taskforces with clear objectives, accountability, and measurable deliverables:
- Pillar 1: Policy & Regulatory Advocacy
- Pillar 2: Networking & Collaboration
- Pillar 3: Standards & Awareness
Frances Crewdson and Thomas Gray, CIC Co-Chairs, explained:
“The feedback from the June 2025 CIC members survey was clear – the old working group model wasn’t delivering. Meetings were happening, but tangible outcomes weren’t. So we made a deliberate choice to strip back sixteen priorities to three core pillars – Policy and Regulatory Advocacy, Networking and Collaboration, and Standards and Awareness – and replace working groups with focused taskforces, each with defined scope, timelines and measurable deliverables.
These pillars represent the areas where the CIC can make a genuine, lasting difference for the industry and for patients. Our ambition is to create an organisation that (i) regulators trust, (ii) speaks with one authoritative voice for the entire sector, and (iii) ensures high standards are met & communicated externally. For the first time, we have pillar leads, clear KPIs, and a governance framework built for accountability. It’s not just a restructure, we’re setting the foundations for everything we want to achieve in 2026 and beyond.”
Since implementing this new structure, activity across all three pillars has accelerated considerably, with new taskforces launched, member engagement strengthened, and a renewed focus on collaboration, advocacy, education, and industry standards.
The CIC will be sharing updates on the progress made so far across each pillar and what CIC members can expect in the coming months throughout the week ahead of Cannabis Europa and the Cannabis Industry Council AGM taking place on the 27th of May, 2026 in London.
Get Involved with CIC Pillar Taskforces
As the CIC continues to build momentum across all three pillars, member involvement remains central to the organisation’s success and long-term impact. Members interested in contributing to any of the ongoing taskforces, initiatives, or wider pillar activities are encouraged to reach out directly to the relevant Pillar Leads:
- Greer Deal for Pillar 1 (Policy & Regulatory Advocacy) – greer.deal@cicouncil.org.uk
- Sam Cannon for Pillar 2 (Networking & Collaboration) – sam.cannon@cicouncil.org.uk
- Adam Windish for Pillar 3 (Standards & Awareness) – adam.windish@cicouncil.org.uk
We welcome continued collaboration from across the sector as we work together to shape the future of the UK cannabis industry heading into 2026 and beyond.
