These amazing photographs provide a glimpse inside a unique £10 million medicinal cannabis factory in the UK.

The top-secret facility is heavily protected by more than 150 security cameras and a highly trained team of ex-military guards.

The factory is run by Derbyshire-based firm Dalgety which produces high-grade cannabinoids for prescription medication.

The growing of cannabis for medicinal use was legalised in the UK in 2018.

Dalgety's state-of-the-art facility is spread over 30,000 square feet in the Midlands and is surrounded by razor wire fencing and bullet-proof glass windows.

The site is the first in the UK that holds EU GMP certification to cultivate, manufacture and sell for distribution.

CEO James Leavesley said: "Dalgety was founded five years ago and it's taken four-and-a-half years to actually get to a point where we're fully licensed by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) and the Home Office to cultivate, manufacture and supply medical cannabis in the UK."

"Some of the feedback we have received from doctors was that the supply of imported cannabis can be unreliable and with varying quality due to a lack of transparency of the supply chain."

"So that means that when patients are prescribed medical cannabis they get their repeat prescriptions, often it's not available or out of stock."

"If products have to be imported it can take 12 to 20 weeks just to get into the UK."

"The benefit of being located here in the Midlands, as soon as we finish the growing cycle we harvest and slowly dry our product then pack it."

"From that moment it can be within a patient's hand inside a month."

"The longest thing that we're waiting for is the test results from our third party lab partners, and once they're all clear and we know it's safe, we can release it onto the market, something that all producers must adhere to, however often handled internationally"

The plants – which are fed around 12 times every day - are grown in a series of medical-grade laboratories which are constantly air-filtered.

The team of expert growers are all issued with specially-made dark glasses due to the powerful LED lighting used to cultivate the crop.

James added: "The lighting has been bespoke-made, and we actually create artificial wind in the room to ensure there are no microclimates."

Each plant takes five months to grow over 6ft in height when they are ready to be harvested.

They are then dried and cured to remove any moisture before they are trimmed by hand and their flowers separated.

Head grower Brady Green, who joined the company in 2023, said: "Our crop cycle runs about five months in total."

"About two weeks in the crop propagation stage, about two weeks in veg, and then flowering takes about seven to twelve weeks depending on variety."

"From there it takes another two weeks to dry and two weeks to cure and a little bit of time to trim."

"While high yields can be achieved through the cultivation of premium cannabis, it is important to recognise that yield size does not necessarily equate to quality—and often, it does not. "

"In cannabis cultivation, there are specific phases where accelerated growth is beneficial, such as during the vegetative stage and logistical processes. "

"However, the drying and curing stages require careful precision and patience, where a 'low and slow' approach is essential to preserving and enhancing the terpene and cannabinoid profiles."

This crucial aspect is often overlooked, as some producers prioritise speed to bring products to market as quickly as possible, sacrificing phytochemical integrity and overall product excellence.

"At Dalgety, we recognise that true quality cannot be rushed—it is achieved through time, precision, and unwavering commitment to excellence."

"Once it's packaged, we can get our product to patients in a matter of weeks."

"It's important to discuss medical cannabis openly and break the stigma of this plant."

"It's the opposite of evil and dangerous and hopefully it can provide a lot of assistance for people."

Last September the company secured their second licence, giving them permission to sell their product.

The company shipped its first batch of product last month, which equates to 500 prescriptions worth of medical cannabis.

For more information on Dalgety, visit https://dalgetyuk.co.uk/