Business – Page 32 – International Cannabis Business Conference

What Are The Top Cannabis Companies In Spain?

Written by Johnny Green on January 16, 2023. Posted in Business.

Spain’s cannabis community is second to none in many ways, and its current industry model is very unique. Unfortunately, public cannabis policy in Spain is not as advanced as it needs to be for the nation’s emerging industry to reach its full potential.

However, there are still several cannabis companies operating in Spain right now that are true global industry leaders. As the legal industry continues to spread across the planet cannabis enthusiasts and observers need to keep the company names below on their radars.

Spannabis

When you are talking about the cannabis scene in Spain, or Europe for that matter, Spannabis should always be at the top of the list. Spannabis is the world’s largest cannabis gathering, and once again will be partnering with the International Cannabis Business Conference, Spain’s largest cannabis B2B conference, to put on a super-event in Barcelona in March that is a must-attend.

Dinafem

Dinafem Seeds is a cannabis seed bank based in Donostia, Gipuzkoa that provides one of the best selections of cannabis genetics available on the market, including many award-winning cannabis genetics. Per the company’s disclaimer on their website, they “refuse to sell cannabis seeds to anyone who we believe is going to use them to grow cannabis in countries where it is illegal,” so keep that in mind.

Plantasur

Plantasur is a B2B wholesale distribution company that supplies brick and mortar storefronts, online grow stores, and other companies in the cannabis industry. With over 5,000 products offered, Plantasur provides many of the most important cannabis cultivation and consumption gadgets in the space today.

Delicious Seeds

Delicious Seeds was established in 2009 and describes themselves as defending “a harmonious growth process, based on the values of equality, efficiency and transparency.” The company’s staff is highly qualified and can advise aspiring cultivators of all skill levels on any questions that may arise with free and personalized attention.

Hortitec

Hortitec specializes in B2B crop product distribution for technical horticulture. The company has multiple offices in Spain, and is committed to professionalism, quality, sustainability and investment in technology, always seeking continual improvement to offer the best products and services to their customers.

Kannabia Seed Company

Kannabia was originally founded in 2008 and per their website, “is dedicated to cannabis seed growers and marijuana.” The company was influenced by the concerns and suggestions of cannabis cultivators and they have spent years developing systems that ensure the optimal development of the genetics that they offer.

Smoking

One of the most iconic cannabis brands in Spain is a company named Smoking. The rolling paper company was first founded in 1879 and products are currently manufactured by Miquel y Costas in Barcelona. According to the company’s website, they were one of the earliest factories to ever produce rolling papers.

Canamo Magazine

Spain is home to several insightful and entertaining cannabis media outlets, with one of the best of them being Canamo Magazine. The media outlet offers both print and digital content, including content related to news, culture, and cultivation.

Alchemia

Alchemia Grow Shop was inaugurated in April 2001 in a small store in the heart of Figueres. The company has since increased in size and influence and now offers over 6,000 items for sale, involving more than 1,500 strains and 63 seed banks, including Philosopher Seeds, their own seed bank created in 2008 to share their best genetics with clients and friends.

Will Barcelona’s Cannabis Industry Reach Its Full Potential?

Written by Hazel Norman on January 12, 2023. Posted in Business, Entertainment, Policy.

Barcelona, Spain is the social cannabis use capital of the world. Home to hundreds of cannabis lounges and clubs, Barcelona’s cannabis community and consumer experience is unique in every way. Unfortunately, the public policies in Spain pertaining to such establishments do not currently align with reality, with many lawmakers and regulators choosing to stick their heads in the sand and act as if Barcelona’s emerging industry doesn’t exist.

That approach by many lawmakers and regulators does a huge disservice to not only people involved in the cannabis trade, but also the rest of society which would benefit from a regulated industry. Just as the adult-use cannabis industry is generating a significant economic impact in Canada, so too could it do the same in Spain, particularly in Barcelona.

Generating Jobs and Tax Revenue

Every member of a society benefits from a boost in the economy to some degree, particularly when that boost comes from afar. When cannabis enthusiasts travel to an area to partake in cannabis commerce, they need rides to and from lounges, they eat and shop in the area, and they pay for lodging, among many other things. The larger the tourist population, the more local people benefit from the increased commerce.

In Barcelona, all the cannabis consumption at clubs and lounges occurs in private settings, so the mere activity of consuming cannabis is not a nuisance, and thus, the economic boost is clearly a net gain to the region. Cannabis tourism generates jobs, and if the industry is regulated, it also generates taxes and fees that go to public coffers, which is one of the many reasons why Spain should be embracing Barcelona’s clubs and lounges instead of making them operate in limbo. Additionally, society benefits from no longer having public revenue earmarked for enforcing failed public policy (cannabis prohibition).

How to Address the Issue?

Ultimately, it is up to lawmakers in Spain to pass comprehensive cannabis reform at the national level in order to get Barcelona’s emerging cannabis industry built on a solid legal foundation. Local leaders in Barcelona previously adopted a limited regulatory model for cannabis clubs just to see the policy later thrown out by the nation’s top Court, so there’s likely nothing meaningful that can be done at the local level.

Public pressure must reach a critical mass to hold lawmakers accountable when they drag their feet on cannabis reform, and if they will still refrain from taking meaningful action, they need to be replaced with people that will act. Any pressure campaign must involve a heavy dose of public education to combat any misinformation being spread by opponents, and to help convince people that are on the fence about the issue to get on the right side of history.

Leaders Coming Together

Barcelona’s rich cannabis history and culture makes it once again the perfect backdrop to the International Cannabis Business Conference trade show, taking place March 9, 2023. Cannabis policymakers and industry leaders from all over the globe will be in attendance, and one of the major focuses of the conference will be how to move Spain’s industry forward.

The International Cannabis Business Conference is the leading cannabis business to business (B2B) event series on the planet, with previous conferences occurring in several countries on multiple continents. The event series is owned and operated by cannabis advocates that believe in celebrating cannabis culture, in addition to providing world-class cannabis industry education and networking opportunities.

The International Cannabis Business Conference has once again partnered with Spannabis, Europe’s top cannabis expo, to form another super-event that is a must-attend for anyone that is serious about succeeding in the emerging cannabis industry. Spannabis originally teamed up with the International Cannabis Business Conference in 2019, and the collaboration was a tremendous success. The 2023 super-event will be bigger and better than ever, with the collaboration event being the largest of its kind. Participating speakers and an event schedule will be announced soon.

Could Malta Help Move the Needle?

One thing that will be interesting to observe is what is currently unfolding in Malta. Malta passed a national adult-use legalization measure late last year, making it the first country in Europe to do so.

It is unclear right now how long it will be after applications are initially collected before the first regulated club is opened, however, things do seem to be moving along. Once Malta officially rolls out its cannabis club licenses and sets up all the processes and regulations pertaining to it, it will have created a blueprint for other countries to mimic, including and especially Spain.

New Medical Cannabis Industry Regulations Delayed In Spain

Written by Hazel Norman on January 9, 2023. Posted in Business, Policy.

Back in June 2022 Spain’s Health and Consumption Commission of the Congress of Deputies approved an opinion of the Medical Cannabis Subcommittee which called for medical cannabis industry regulations.

Part of that approved opinion involved tasking the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Aims) to come up with a regulatory plan within 6 months regarding how it would implement the recommendations of the approved opinion.

That six-month deadline expired in December 2022, and here we are in 2023 and it’s still unclear when the plan will be released. Per El Espanol (translated to English):

The agency dependent on the Ministry of Health coordinated by Carolina Darias had a period of 6 months to prepare a document with recommendations so that the regulations have legal requirements and are “viable”. The problem? That document has not arrived. And we are already in 2023.

This means that Health has not met the deadlines and that the great project of Podemos -which the PSOE later embraced- to make medical marijuana a reality before the May elections is complicated.

The government in Spain failing to meet a mandated, cannabis-based deadline is not entirely unique. In October 2018 Mexico’s Supreme Court rendered a decision that deemed cannabis prohibition to be unconstitutional, and tasked lawmakers with passing a legalization measure within a year.

Clearly, lawmakers in Mexico did not meet that original deadline, and have also failed in meeting subsequent deadlines. What is going on in Spain is not an apples to apples comparison to what is going on in Mexico, however, it does highlight that when deadlines are not met it leaves cannabis advocates inside and outside of government scrambling to try to find ways to move the needle in the country where delays are occurring.

We will make sure to continue to keep a very close eye and to monitor the situation in Spain for signs of movement.

Will Costa Rica Become A Top Cannabis Tourism Destination?

Written by Hazel Norman on January 9, 2023. Posted in Business, Entertainment, Policy.

Cannabis tourism is not a new thing, however, the size of that particular sector of the emerging international cannabis industry has historically been limited. Obviously, that is due in large part to prohibition laws around the globe.

For many years Amsterdam was the undeniable leader when it came to international cannabis tourism, with a handful of other notable cities such as Barcelona and Vancouver (Canada) also serving as top destinations for cannabis enthusiasts.

As cannabis reform continues to spread across the globe, and with it, the legal cannabis industry, lawmakers in some countries are seeming to envision their regions also serving as top international cannabis tourism destinations, with the latest example of that being in Costa Rica. Per The Q Media (translated to English):

The bill to legalize the use of recreational marijuana in Costa Rica authorizes the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) – Costa Rican Tourism Board – to promote the country as a destination for responsible consumption.

This is established in article 52 of initiative 23,383 that is being analyzed by the legislative commission on the environment (Comisión de Ambiente del Congreso).

Specifically, it indicates:

“The Instituto Costarricense de Turismo should establish information campaigns at the international level to promote Costa Rica as a tourist destination for the responsible consumption of cannabis for recreational use.”

The bill itself is far from guaranteed to pass, so the language pertaining to boosting cannabis tourism needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Cannabis advocates inside and outside of Costa Rica are clearly rooting for legalization to be adopted in Costa Rica, however, as with all things political, no one should count any eggs before they hatch.

According to World Data, “Costa Rica recorded a total of one million tourists in 2020, ranking 90th in the world in absolute terms.” With that in mind, any and all additional tourism that cannabis legalization can generate for Costa Rica will surely be appreciated.

The Amount Of Legal Cannabis Planted In Greenhouses In Uruguay Nearly Doubled In A Year

Written by Johnny Green on January 4, 2023. Posted in Business, Policy.

Uruguay’s legal cannabis industry may not be as large as industries in other nations, however, it will always hold the distinction of being the first regulated national adult-use cannabis industry in the world’s history.

Lawmakers in Uruguay first passed a legalization measure back in 2013, nearly ten years ago. It took a handful of years for the first legal transaction to occur, and these days consumers of legal age in Uruguay have several options for legally sourcing cannabis, including via pharmacies.

By many reasonable measures the legal cannabis industry is succeeding in Uruguay, and that is reflected in statistics that were recently released regarding how much cannabis is being planted in greenhouses in Uruguay. The rate of increase is impressive. Per La Diaria Politica (translated to English):

The Directorate of Agricultural Statistics of the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) published this week the 2022 Yearbook, which includes the current status and evolution of agricultural production and provides other related data, such as the volume of exports and imports. of agricultural products, the price of land and registered purchase and sale operations.

The document reports a significant increase in the area of cannabis in greenhouses, which went from 120,000 to 239,782 square meters between the agricultural years 2020/21 and 2021/22. In the same sense, the number of licenses granted for the plantation of cannabis went from 80 to 167 in the same period. In contrast, open-air cannabis plantations have been on the decline since 2020, and went from 580 hectares to 513 in the aforementioned period.

Greenhouses are a much more sustainable method for cultivating cannabis compared to cultivating cannabis inside of a building being that they use less non-renewable resources. The climate in Uruguay is favorable for cultivating cannabis in general, and greenhouses help keep pests and rain off of the plants while also maximizing exposure to sunlight.

As we previously reported, Uruguay recently expanded the number of cannabis options at pharmacies, with a higher-THC option rolling out last month. Another cannabis option is expected to come to pharmacies in Uruguay in late 2023, although it is still unclear what cannabinoid levels will be involved with the new variety.

France Lifts Ban On CBD Product Sales

Written by Hazel Norman on December 31, 2022. Posted in Business, Policy.

Roughly one year ago, on December 30, 2021 the government in France issued a ban on the sales of CBD products. CBD products have increased in popularity and availability throughout Europe in recent years, including in France.

Due to ongoing cannabis stigma, some lawmakers and regulators have portrayed CBD as being harmful, and they seem to have dusted off a number of reefer madness talking points that used to be applied to cannabis in general and are now revamping them to be more narrowly focused on CBD.

That stigma and ongoing anti-cannabis rhetoric by opponents has led to CBD crackdowns in some parts of the world. France’s ban was effectively short lived, as the ban was initially put on hold in January 2022 and is now being lifted altogether. Per Le Parisien:

The good news is confirmed for CBD sellers. Temporarily suspended last January, the ban on the sale in the raw state of the flowers and leaves of certain varieties of cannabis is now officially lifted, according to a decision of the Council of State on Wednesday , which “cancels the decree of December 30 2021 prohibiting the sale of cannabis flowers and leaves with a THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) level of less than 0.3%”.

The institution “notes that CBD (cannabidiol), which has no psychotropic effect and does not cause addiction, cannot be considered a narcotic product”.

The Council of State “retains that it has not been established that the consumption of the flowers and leaves of these varieties of cannabis with a low level of THC would involve risks for public health. It therefore considers illegal the general and absolute prohibition of their marketing”.

Another example of a looming CBD crackdown can be found in Hong Kong where a complete CBD ban is going into effect in 2023. Unlike France, leaders in Hong Kong have made it clear that they will not be reversing course and that the ban will indeed go into effect and anyone caught violating the new ban will receive years in prison.

France’s lifting of the previous CBD ban is certainly welcomed news, however, the European nation still has a long way to go when it comes to improving cannabis policy. Cannabis consumption is very popular in France, and cannabis prohibition is a failed public policy. It’s beyond time that France got completely on the right side of history when it comes to cannabis laws.

The Top International Cannabis Stories Of 2022

Written by Johnny Green on December 25, 2022. Posted in Business, Entertainment, Policy, Science.

As 2022 draws to a close we will look back on the biggest stories from the international cannabis community over the last year.

Germany

The biggest story of 2022 for international cannabis was clearly the unveiling of the long-awaited adult-use legalization plan in Germany. Germany’s Health Minister Karl Lauterbach made a formal presentation of the plan to the federal cabinet in October, and Minister Lauterbach is currently lobbying the European Union for its approval to officially introduce the measure which would legalize adult-use sales, possession, and home cultivation. The measure would also remove cannabis from Germany’s narcotics law. Legalization in Germany will have a domino effect on the continent, if not the world, with leaders in the Czech Republic already indicating that they will follow Germany’s lead.

Thailand

It is likely a safe bet that Thailand experienced more cannabis policy activity in 2022 than any other nation on the planet. In June Thailand implemented a very unique and historic cannabis policy, providing the opportunity for every household in the country to sign up to cultivate low-THC cannabis. In many ways Thailand’s new approach to cannabis policy is unlike anything else on earth. Unfortunately, after the new policy took effect cannabis opponents ramped up efforts to go backwards on cannabis policy. Regardless, 2022 was an enormous year for Thailand on the cannabis policy front.

Italy

In late 2021 Italy seemed poised to legalize cannabis in 2022, with local activists having submitted hundreds of thousands of signatures to put legalization to a vote. Enough of the signatures were deemed to be valid, however, Italy’s Supreme Court effectively vetoed the measure in February before voters receive the opportunity to weigh in.

Malta

One of the brightest moments in 2021 occurred when Malta became the first country in Europe to pass an adult-use legalization measure. The measure legalized possession and non-profit cannabis clubs, yet it did not legalize a regulated industry. Fortunately, it was announced this month that progress was made on the bureaucratic front for cannabis clubs, which was often unclear throughout 2022, and that applications for clubs will be available early in 2023.

Russia

It was a particularly tumultuous year for international basketball superstar Brittney Griner who was arrested at a Moscow airport for allegedly possessing vape pen oil in her luggage. Griner played professional basketball in Russia, in addition to the United States, and was traveling for work purposes. Griner would eventually be convicted and sentenced to 9 years of hard labor in a Russian prison camp. Fortunately, Griner would be freed as part of a prisoner swap between Russia and the United States, ending the 10-month ordeal, but not before highlighting how truly terrible Russia’s cannabis policies are.

Slovenia

Cannabis reform efforts ramped up considerably in Slovenia in 2022, with one of the nation’s leading public health experts, Cf. Dušan Nolimal Ph.D., calling for an end to cannabis prohibition in the Balkan nation via an op-ed in the country’s largest media publication. The University of Ljubljana, in conjunction with the Research Nature Institute, also held a seminar in 2022 that featured leading cannabis experts from all over the globe.

Canada

Canada is home to the largest ‘cannabis policy experiment’ on earth as of right now, and 2022 marked the four-year anniversary of the launch of national adult-use sales in Canada. As part of Canada’s cannabis policy approach, the government is conducting a four-year review to see what lessons can be learned. That information will not only be useful to Canada, but also to other countries that are considering following in Canada’s footsteps.

United States

Federal cannabis policy reform in the United States continues to remain elusive on many fronts, however, there was one historic moment in 2022. For the first time since the start of federal cannabis prohibition in the United States the nation’s Congress passed a stand-alone cannabis measure. The ‘Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act’ was passed and signed into law this year, with the measure geared towards boosting cannabis research efforts in the U.S. Unfortunately, the research legislation was the only federal cannabis measure passed in the U.S. in 2022.

Morocco

Historically, Morocco has served as a top international supplier of unregulated cannabis, especially hashish. Morocco was very active in 2022 as it works to move domestic cannabis production into a regulated system. In a historic first, Morocco issued the nation’s first cannabis production permits in 2022.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is currently the largest producer of tobacco on the African continent, with tobacco accounting for as much as 20% of Zimbabwe’s exports. With demand for tobacco products shrinking across the globe, farmers in Zimbabwe are looking for a better crop to cultivate. In 2022 Zimbabwe’s emerging cannabis industry made significant strides, with nearly 5 dozen cannabis companies operating within Zimbabwe’s borders during the year.

Rwanda

Rwanda is one of the poorest countries on earth, with war and conflict being a big contributor. Any economic boost is surely welcomed in Rwanda, and fortunately cannabis reform and an emerging industry are ramping up. Rwanda’s government designated 134 hectares for cannabis production in 2022, and that will hopefully lead to more economic opportunities for the African nation.

Israel

When it comes to cannabis research, Israel has long served as an international leader. Every year researchers in Israel conduct insightful cannabis research, and 2022 was no exception. Additionally, one thing that was extra noteworthy in Israel in 2022 was the nation permitting cannabis seed exports to the United States for the first time.

China And Japan

At a time when cannabis reform seems to be spreading to every corner of the globe, China and Japan are both going in the opposite direction. In China’s largest financial hub, Hong Kong, government officials announced a looming crackdown on CBD businesses in 2022 (to take effect in 2023), with the proposed penalty for future violations being as much as 7 years in prison. In Japan, a government health panel recommended in 2022 that the country boost limited safe access to medical cannabis, which is commendable to some degree. However, coupled with that was an additional recommendation to make the mere act of having consumed cannabis a crime, and that is obviously unacceptable.

Australia And New Zealand

The University of Sydney announced in 2022 that it would offer free cannabis testing to residents of the Australian Capital Territory. In New Zealand, where voters narrowly shot down an adult-legalization measure two years prior, the government announced in 2022 that domestic cannabis production would finally become a reality after years of patients having to solely rely on imported products.

Uruguay

Uruguay will always hold the title of being the first country to ever pass a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure. Yet, the nation’s cannabis policies are still evolving all of these years later, with it being announced in late 2022 that pharmacies would start selling a new variety of cannabis with higher amounts of THC and lower amounts of CBD.

Colombia

It was a very active year in Colombia, where lawmakers continue to work towards passing an adult-use legalization measure. Successful votes were held in 2022 to push legalization forward, and it could result in legalization being pushed over the top in the coming year.

Brazil

Brazil was another country that experienced quite a bit of cannabis activity in 2022, on both the political and industry sides of the cannabis equation. This year also included court decisions in Brazil that bolstered legal protections for medical cannabis patients that cultivate their own medicine.

Argentina

Not to be outdone when it comes to cannabis activity in 2022, Argentina could easily make a case that it was the most active nation in South America. In addition to issuing its first domestic cannabis production license, the government of Argentina launched a public company to provide seeds, testing, and training to the nation’s emerging industry.

Bermuda

It was a bittersweet year for cannabis advocates in Bermuda, where lawmakers approved a substantial cannabis reform measure just to have it later blocked by the nation’s UK-appointed Governor. Due to colonization laws, Bermuda must receive ‘royal assent’ from the UK via an appointed Governor. It’s unclear if/when Bermuda will ever be able to decide its own cannabis policies.

**What Didn’t Happen In 2022**

Just as it is important to highlight what did occur in 2022 within the international cannabis community, it’s also worth mentioning what did not occur. Going into 2022 Luxembourg seemed poised to pass an adult-use legalization measure, with the same seeming to be true about Mexico and South Africa as well. Unfortunately, legalization never materialized in any of the three countries in 2022.

In the cases of Mexico and South Africa, previous court decisions determined that cannabis prohibition was unconstitutional, however, lawmakers have struggled to fully implement those decisions. Hopefully 2023 will prove to be the year that legalization measures get across the finish line in all three countries, and beyond.

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Could Malta’s Cannabis Club Licensing Model Benefit Spain?

Written by Johnny Green on December 12, 2022. Posted in Business, Entertainment, Policy.

As I often point out, Spain is home to one of the most amazing cannabis communities on earth, particularly Barcelona where we co-host the world’s largest cannabis superconference every year with Spannabis. Whereas cannabis communities are just starting to take off in many parts of the world, Spain’s community was thriving decades ago, and that continues to this day.

The backbone of Spain’s cannabis community is, of course, cannabis clubs. It is no secret that hundreds of cannabis clubs exist throughout Spain, with Barcelona being a particularly popular destination for clubgoers. Clubs are a great way to obtain cannabis and to socialize with like-minded people.

Cannabis clubs are unregulated in Spain, which can be confusing for many people being that there are so many of them. Cannabis clubs are tolerated to a large degree in Spain, however, that doesn’t mean that they are legal. It creates a catch-22 of sorts for cannabis reform advocates, in that the same thing that makes Spain so special (access to lots of clubs) is also the same thing that makes it hard to move the needle.

I have worked as a cannabis activist for a long time and so much of the enthusiasm behind cannabis reform efforts I helped with was predicated on boosting personal freedom. In Spain there seems to be an understandable enthusiasm gap, in that people already experience a great amount of freedom. That, combined with world class cannabis, makes it difficult to get people fired up.

With that being said, cannabis reform still needs to occur in Spain so that selective enforcement is eliminated and that the domestic industry can reach its full potential. Cannabis club operators should be able to get licenses like any other business, albeit with industry specific regulations. Eliminating the uncertainty by regulating clubs would help the situation in many ways.

So what is going to move the needle in Spain? One thing that may yield some movement is legalization elsewhere, such as in Germany. However, Germany’s legalization model doesn’t appear to include clubs, at least not at this time, so it may not be enough of an ‘apples to apples’ situation to raise enough eyebrows in political circles in Spain.

One thing that I am very interested to see unfold, and whether it has any policy butterfly effect on Spain, is the rise of cannabis clubs in Malta. Malta passed a national adult-use legalization measure late last year, making it the first country in Europe to do so.

The measure was largely built on the premise of consumers obtaining their cannabis from non-profit cannabis clubs. The only other way for adults to obtain cannabis is to cultivate it themselves or be gifted it. As we previously reported, Malta is expected to start accepting applications for non-profit cannabis clubs in February, which is obviously not too far away.

It is unclear right now how long it will be after applications are initially collected before the first regulated club is opened, however, things do seem to be moving along. Once Malta officially rolls out its cannabis club licenses, and sets up all of the processes and regulations pertaining to it, it will have created a blueprint for other countries to mimic, including and especially Spain.

I don’t necessarily expect lawmakers in Spain to see it as Malta potentially stealing cannabis tourism away from Spain, but rather, that they will hopefully see that regulating clubs can be done and that Spain could potentially do it in a more economically stimulating way. Only time will tell if that proves to be the case or not.

Malta To Start Accepting Cannabis Club Applications By February

Written by Johnny Green on December 3, 2022. Posted in Business, Policy.

Malta made continental history late in 2021 when lawmakers passed Europe’s first nationwide adult-use legalization measure. Prior to legalization passing in Malta, the only two other countries that had previously passed national legalization measures were Uruguay in 2013 and Canada in 2018. However, unlike its predecessors, Malta’s legalization model does not provide for sales through pharmacies, storefronts, and for-profit delivery services. Rather, Malta’s legalization model will be built on non-profit cannabis clubs, applications for which people can start submitting as early as February 2023.

Despite legalization’s passage in Malta late last year, there are still no legal means by which to purchase legal adult-use cannabis products. Whereas consumers have a buffet of options from which to make cannabis purchases in Canada, and to a lesser extent Uruguay (residents only), consumers in Malta have continued to wait until the regulatory framework is set up for non-profit cannabis clubs. Thankfully, there appears to be some progress on that front.

Accepting Applications In 2023

The non-profit cannabis club model is not a new concept. Barcelona, where we co-host the world’s largest cannabis super-conference every year along with Spannabis, is home to numerous private cannabis clubs where people can acquire cannabis as well as consume it in a social setting. Uruguay is also home to hundreds of private cannabis clubs, although Uruguay has implemented a regulated system for cannabis clubs compared to Spain where clubs still operate in somewhat of a grey area of the law.

In Malta there will only be two legal sources for adult-use cannabis. One of them is home cultivation. Adult households in Malta can cultivate up to four plants, per the law that was passed late last year. The other source for adult-use cannabis will, of course, be cannabis clubs. However, clubs cannot exist without first having a license, and generally speaking a license cannot be obtained until there is an application and approval process set up. That last part is reportedly finally happening in February 2023 in Malta.

“The Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis will be in a position to start accepting applications for cannabis club licenses by next February, according to Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg.” stated Malta Today in its domestic coverage. Malta’s Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis will oversee the non-profit sector, including the cannabis club application process. Leonid McKay is currently the executive chair of the authority.

What About The European Union?

Currently, an adult-use legalization measure is looming in Germany, with the nation’s Health Minister Karl Lauterbach currently lobbying the European Union to gain approval prior to formally introducing the measure so that lawmakers in Germany can officially consider it. While some lawmakers in Germany have called for the measure to be introduced immediately, the Health Minister appears to still be seeking EU approval first, at least for the time being.

An obvious question that international cannabis observers are asking on social media and beyond is why is Malta legalizing without so much European Union involvement compared to Germany? It’s a straightforward question that yields some fairly complicated answers. The less complicated answer is that Malta’s legalization model is far more limited than what is being proposed in Germany. Lawmakers in Germany are proposing a nationwide adult-use market where legal purchases will be made at storefronts, similar to what is going on in Canada but on a much larger scale. Malta will have non-profit clubs where people can acquire cannabis, but only if they are members and membership will be limited in many ways I’d assume.

The more complex answer is that Germany’s Health Minister is likely pursuing a strategy that will save legal and political headaches down the road. If the European Union gives its blessing to Germany’s plan, then it largely thwarts potential legal challenges from other EU member nations and mitigates some of the probability of German legalization becoming a political punching bag for cannabis prohibitionists. EU approval would be a final answer in many ways, and while challenges would likely still be pursued, it would be nearly guaranteed that legalization would overcome any challenges if EU approval was granted prior to a legalization measure’s introduction. With that being said, the EU presumably realizes that the decision on Germany will set a precedent, and a big one at that, so it’s not a decision that will be made hastily. The longer it takes for the decision to be rendered, the louder the calls will become within Germany’s borders for lawmakers to hit the gas pedal. In the meantime, the framework for Malta’s limited legalization model will continue to develop.