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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Joe Middleton

Covid loans make UK taxpayers shareholders in cannabis oil firm

Black Sheep Coffee shop
The Black Sheep coffee chain was one of the 1,190 companies to benefit from the £1.14bn Future Fund during the pandemic. Photograph: Alecsandra Raluca Drăgoi/The Guardian

British taxpayers are now shareholders in a further 65 companies because of a government rescue funding scheme set up during the Covid crisis – including a medical cannabis firm, a video game studio and a chain of bars offering activities like ping pong.

A list published by the government’s development bank reveals an eclectic range of firms that have received convertible loans as part of the Future Fund.

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