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How Is Cannabis Regulated In Spain?

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

When it comes to being a cannabis consumer, you will be hard-pressed to find a better place to hang out than Spain. The European nation has long been home to an amazing cannabis community and it is no secret that the hash in Spain is unparalleled.

Barcelona is particularly fantastic for cannabis enthusiasts, with roughly 70% of the nation’s world-famous cannabis clubs being located in the Barcelona region. The food, the culture, the beauty, and the cannabis combine to make Barcelona one of the top cannabis tourist destinations on earth.

Spain is home to a very unique public policy and regulatory approach to cannabis, with some policy components being better than others, especially from the perspective of cannabis patients and entrepreneurs.

Current Legal Status

Currently, cannabis is decriminalized in Spain for personal use. Someone caught with a personal amount of cannabis can face a fine of up to 200 euros, however, many parts of the country have lax enforcement and it is unclear what constitutes a ‘personal’ amount of cannabis.

Cannabis for commercial purposes is completely illegal with the exception of a handful of medical cannabis industry licenses. All of the medical cannabis that is produced under the limited number of licenses is earmarked for export. The only other nationally-recognized cannabis business models are those that involve cannabis research.

With that being said, hundreds of cannabis clubs operate in Spain, and at one point cannabis clubs operating in Barcelona were considered to be legal by local authorities. A court decision overturned Barcelona’s policy of allowing cannabis clubs, leaving the entire industry sector in limbo. Spain’s unregulated market is thriving, however, its regulated industry is considerably hindered by current policy.

Future Reforms?

Europe recently witnessed its first nation legalizing cannabis for adult use after lawmakers in Malta passed a reform measure at the end of last year. Several other countries, including Germany, Luxembourg, and Italy are expected to legalize sooner rather than later.

All of that puts pressure on Spain to step up and take its rightful place as an international cannabis industry and policy leader. The best way to learn more about what is on the horizon in Spain is to attend the upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference B2B event in Barcelona on March 10th, co-sponsored by Bhang Inc and Grow Glide with an after-party sponsored by Juicy Fields. The B2B event is part of the world’s largest cannabis industry superconference alongside Spannabis.

The B2B event has a panel dedicated to the analysis of current laws, regulations, and possible reforms looming in Spain. The moderator of the panel will be Bernardo Soriano Guzmán, CO-CEO, S&F Abogados. Panel participants will include Sergio González aka Weedzard (President, 420 Movement), Iker Val (CPO, Sovereign Fields), and Ruben Valenzuela Moreno (CTO, Valenveras). Every panel member possesses tremendous experience in the cannabis space and is optimally suited to provide valuable insight regarding Spain’s evolving cannabis policies and regulations.

Who Else Will Be Speaking At International Cannabis Business Conference Barcelona?

The most entertaining man in cannabis, Ngaio Bealum, will serve as the International Cannabis Business Conference’s Master of Ceremonies in Barcelona. Additional speakers include:

  • Jamie Pearson – President and CEO, Bhang Inc
  • Guillermo J Fernandez Navarro – CO-Founder, S&F Abogados
  • Nic Easley – CEO of 3C Consulting and Managing Director of Multiverse Capital
  • Luna Stower – VP Business Development, Ispire
  • Òscar Parés – Deputy Director, ICEERS Foundation
  • Chloe Grossman – Executive Director of Corporate Growth, Trulieve Cannabis Corp
  • Roberto Algar – Managing Director, Curaleaf Switzerland
  • Santiago Ongay – CEO, Sabia
  • Kai-Friedrich Niermann – Founder, KFN+ Law Office
  • Dr. Juana Vasella – Attorney of Law, MME Legal Zurich
  • Joan Simó Cruanyes – Coordinator of Cananbis Hub UPC
  • Albert Tio – Founder of Airam and President of Fedcac
  • Aaron Smith – Co-Founder and Executive Director, National Cannabis Industry Association
  • Lisa Haag – Founder, MJ_Universe
  • Juanma Fernández – CEO, Easy CSC Group
  • Patricia Amiguet – Founder of Pachamama Cannabis Association and President of CatFAC
  • Zeta Ceti – Founder and CEO, Green Rush Consulting

Over 80 countries will be represented at the superconference this March in Barcelona and will include representatives from every sector of the industry as well as leading international cannabis policymakers and industry service providers. Attend the superconference in Barcelona to network with investors, entrepreneurs, industry regulators, and international policymakers and take your industry pursuits to the next level.

The International Cannabis Business Conference also has additional upcoming events in Berlin in July 2022 and Zurich in September 2022. You can secure tickets now and take advantage of the early bird pricing discount.

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Cannabis Is A Major Economic Contributor In Canada

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business, Politics.

Canada was not the first country to legalize cannabis for adult use. That distinction goes to Uruguay which legalized cannabis for adult use roughly 5 years prior to Canada doing so in 2018.

However, Canada was the first G-7 country to legalize cannabis for adult use, and historically it is the only country on earth where anyone of legal age can purchase cannabis from storefronts, delivery services, and via the web. It has served as the ultimate public policy experiment, and according to the results of a new analysis from Deloitte, the experiment appears to be working.

Deloitte is the world’s largest consulting firm and offers a wide variety of services. One thing that the consulting firm does is economic analysis. Deloitte recently released its analysis regarding Canada’s emerging cannabis industry.

A number of firms and government entities have released Canada cannabis industry data on a rolling basis, however, Deloitte’s analysis is the most comprehensive to date. They looked at a number of economic statistics and indicators since the start of legalization in Canada over three years ago.

Job Creation

One of the major takeaways from the analysis is that the legal cannabis industry in Canada has created roughly 151,000 jobs. Jobs range from budtenders to cultivation staff to regulatory positions in government. To put that figure into perspective, it is estimated that the number of cannabis jobs in the U.S. is roughly 321,000.

A major selling point for a legalized industry is that it creates good jobs, and often in areas where it’s typically hard to create jobs, such as in rural areas. After all, an indoor cultivation center or processing facility can be located virtually anywhere, and people purchase cannabis nationwide regardless of local population size.

GDP And Tax Revenue

In addition to generating new jobs across Canada, the emerging legal cannabis industry is responsible for generating over $15 billion since legal adult-use sales launched in late 2018. It’s not enough money to solve every financial problem that Canada has, however, it’s still a significant sum that would otherwise be zero if the legal cannabis industry wasn’t allowed to operate.

The overall economic boost from Canada’s legalized industry is substantial. Deloitte estimates that the legal cannabis industry in Canada has contributed over $43.5 billion to the nation’s GDP since the start of legalization. Cannabis companies have directly invested roughly $4.4 billion into Canada’s economy, with the remaining boost to GDP coming from “indirect” economic contributions, and “induced” contributions according to Deloitte.

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What Should People Anticipate As Legalization Spreads Through Europe?

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Barcelona, Politics.

The European continent is at the forefront of adult-use cannabis legalization reform. Towards the end of last year, lawmakers in Malta passed an adult-use measure making the country the first in Europe to do so. With 2022 in full swing multiple other countries in Europe may follow.

Members of the governing coalition in Germany previously announced intentions to legalize cannabis for adult use as well as launch a regulated adult-use industry. The German lawmakers did not announce a specific timeline for doing so, however, the start of the policy shift is expected to happen sooner rather than later.

Cannabis activists in Italy have likely gathered enough signatures to put a cannabis legalization referendum before voters. The effort only needs to clear one more procedural hurdle, which is expected to happen later this month. Legalization is expected to occur this year in Luxembourg according to lawmakers.

Both Switzerland and the Netherlands are pursuing adult-use ‘pilot programs’ in which cannabis will be legal in certain jurisdictions for research purposes to help craft eventual national legalization policies. Switzerland already allows the sale of cannabis products with less than 1% THC content. In every measurable way, cannabis legalization is on the move in Europe.

Opportunities For Investors, Operators, And Consumers

It is truly an exciting time to be a cannabis enthusiast in Europe and looking towards the future, the situation should only continue to improve as more countries pursue and enact sensible reform measures. Every European country that legalizes, starting with Malta, builds momentum for reform in other countries on the continent. Lawmakers have to decide if they want to get on the right side of history and see their countries reap the benefits of cannabis reform, or continue to cling to failed public policy and let once-in-a-generation opportunities pass them by.

Now that the first domino has fallen, people can expect an uptick in policy changes in the coming years in Europe. Knowing what to anticipate and getting the timing right is extremely important for investors, operators, and consumers as there will be tremendous opportunities created by the inevitable policy changes.

The perfect time and place to learn more about what to anticipate in Europe is at the upcoming International Cannabis Business Conference B2B event in Barcelona on March 10th. The event is part of the world’s largest superconference, with the International Cannabis Business Conference once again teaming up with Spannabis. Jamie L Pearson, Bhang Inc.’s (CSE:BHNG OTCQB: BHNGF) President and CEO will provide the keynote at the B2B event.

Pearson is a proven leader in the cannabis space and brings nearly a decade of experience from operating an internationally-recognized brand in the ever-evolving North American cannabis markets. She will offer her top 10 observations regarding social justice, banking, taxation, wellness, and leadership in her keynote address.

Additional Speakers

The rich cannabis history and culture in Barcelona, Spain make it the perfect backdrop for the next International Cannabis Business Conference being held in March. The conference is co-sponsored by Bhang Inc and Grow Glide. At the conclusion of the superconference the International Cannabis Business Conference will host one of its world-famous after-parties. This year’s after-party will be sponsored by Juicy Fields.

The most entertaining man in cannabis, Ngaio Bealum, will serve as the International Cannabis Business Conference’s Master of Ceremonies in Barcelona. Additional speakers include:

    • Bernardo Soriano Guzmán – CO-CEO, S&F Abogados
    • Guillermo J Fernandez Navarro – CO-Founder, S&F Abogados
    • Nic Easley – CEO of 3C Consulting and Managing Director of Multiverse Capital
    • Luna Stower – VP Business Development, Ispire
    • Òscar Parés – Deputy Director, ICEERS Foundation
    • Sergio González aka Weedzard – President, 420 Movement
    • Iker Val – CPO, Sovereign Fields
    • Chloe Grossman – Executive Director of Corporate Growth, Trulieve Cannabis Corp
    • Roberto Algar – Managing Director, Curaleaf Switzerland
    • Santiago Ongay – CEO, Sabia
    • Kai-Friedrich Niermann – Founder, KFN+ Law Office
    • Dr. Juana Vasella – Attorney of Law, MME Legal Zurich
    • Joan Simó Cruanyes – Coordinator of Cananbis Hub UPC
    • Albert Tio – Founder of Airam and President of Fedcac
    • Aaron Smith – Co-Founder and Executive Director, National Cannabis Industry Association
    • Lisa Haag – Founder, MJ_Universe
    • Juanma Fernández – CEO, Easy CSC Group
    • Patricia Amiguet – Founder of Pachamama Cannabis Association and President of CatFAC
    • Zeta Ceti – Founder and CEO, Green Rush Consulting
    • Ruben Valenzuela Moreno – CTO, Valenveras

The International Cannabis Business Conference also has additional upcoming events in Berlin in July 2022 and Zurich in September 2022. You can secure tickets now and take advantage of the early bird pricing discount.

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Will Lawmakers In Mexico Finally Pass Cannabis Legalization This Session?

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

The path towards adult-use legalization in Mexico has proven to be long and full of twists and turns. For many years Mexico prohibited cannabis in all forms, however, in 2017 it finally legalized cannabis for medical use to some extent.

That following year, in 2018, Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled that cannabis prohibition as it pertains to personal use was unconstitutional. It was a landmark ruling that was celebrated at the time around the world. Similar decisions were also handed down in South Africa and Italy.

In Mexico specifically, the Court tasked lawmakers with passing legislation to fully implement the Court’s decision and initially gave a one-year deadline. Lawmakers requested an extension and were granted one that expired in April 2020.

Due to the onset of the pandemic, lawmakers requested another deadline. And then another. As it stands right now, it’s anyone’s guess as to when Mexico will finally get a legalization bill to the finish line.

With a new session starting next month, international cannabis enthusiasts are hopeful that a bill will finally be passed this time around. Per Politico (translated from Spanish):

Proposals have been submitted; however, these have not prospered due to the lack of consensus on the subject. In this sense, it is expected that in the next ordinary period, which begins on February 1, the parliamentary groups that have a presence in the Senate will begin with the analysis of the issue.

Parts of Mexico are developed and full of economic opportunity, however, much of the country lives in poverty. It is no secret that Mexico has been ravaged by the War on Drugs, and that cannabis prohibition fueled the issue to some extent. Creating a regulated adult-use industry will do a lot to help Mexico’s citizens.

The desire to legalize cannabis for adult use in Mexico is strong among lawmakers, and it’s not a question of if Mexico will pass a bill, it’s a question of when? Lawmakers in Mexico have argued over provisions of a regulated industry for far too long. Hopefully this session proves to be the one that yields a successful, fair, and equitable legalization measure.

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Thailand’s Health Ministry Wants To Legalize Cannabis In Certain Areas

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

Thailand is rapidly becoming an international leader when it comes to cannabis policy. For many years the nation prohibited cannabis in all forms, with harsh penalties being handed out to people caught possessing, cultivating, and/or distributing cannabis.

That has changed a great deal in recent years after Thailand became the first country in its entire region to legalize cannabis for medical use. It was a tectonic public policy shift at the time given that over half of the countries that have a death penalty for cannabis are located in the same region as Thailand.

Currently, any household in Thailand can sign up to cultivate cannabis for medical purposes and sell it to government-licensed cannabis retailers. Aspiring cultivators can even obtain a government loan to help fund their pursuits, with interest rates being extremely low.

If Thailand’s Health Ministry has its way, cannabis reform will not stop at medical cannabis. Thailand’s Health Ministry recently announced a desire to legalize cannabis for adult use in certain parts of the country. Per Bangkok Post:

The health ministry plans to legalise cannabis for recreational use in designated areas as part of a new draft proposal.

Dr Paisarn Dankum, secretary-general of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said the ministry wants to maximise the benefits of the plant following its removal from the latest list of prohibited drugs (B.E 2564).

The proposals will allow the use of cannabis for recreational purposes in designated sandbox areas. However, there has so far been no guidance as to what will constitute a sandbox and which areas might be eligible.

Thailand is a beautiful country and has long served as a top international tourism destination. Cannabis enthusiasts from around the world have traveled to Thailand for many years to consume local cannabis varieties, albeit in a fashion that was not necessarily legal.

It’s tough to say at this point if the cannabis ‘sandbox’ regions will be geared towards boosting tourism, however, that’s likely to factor in. Legalizing cannabis for adult use will create jobs, create tax revenues and fees, and boost local economies. That is true in Thailand and anywhere else that embraces adult-use cannabis reform.

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How Long Will The Cannabis Fight Take In France?

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Politics.

The left-wing France Unbowed party is taking the fight to a still resistant government as recent polls show public opinion shifting towards cannabis legalization

Last week, French legislators discussed a bill to legalize cannabis. Put forward by the France Unbowed party or LFI, it is widely seen to be a legislative attempt to put the conversation in the national air rather than pass anything even though there was clear support for reform from five parliamentary groups including even the ruling party (LREM). The government so far has been widely resistant to full cannabis reform, implementing both a much-delayed medical trial only last year as well as finally regulating the CBD business which, as of January 7, will include the sale of flowers. This is a major victory over the government in the first week of the year as the country’s Supreme Court also just overturned the ban on cannabis flowers put forward by the government on December 30 in the plan to regulate the CBD industry.

The last such attempt put forward in 2014 was also rejected by the government. But times they are obviously a’changin’. Beyond the victory on CBD recently, as of June 2021, an Ifop survey showed that 51% of the French public was in favour of at least decriminalization – the highest number since the issue has been tracked (1970).

Things are certainly getting interesting in the French conversation. The question is, with the CBD conversation now formalized in France and a medical trial underway on a national level, how fast can cannabis reform happen on a national level here?

The Need for A Trigger…

It is not just France that is now on the edge of further reform. Germany has yet to even formalize its CBD industry, even though the new coalition here has made cannabis reform an issue for its plank of projects to get accomplished. These two countries, along with Italy, now also poised for a legislative mandate on the topic this year, are far more than say Malta or Spain, are absolutely the bellwether countries for cannabis reform in Europe, simply because they have the most economic clout.

That said, the inevitable is clearly in the air. Full and final cannabis reform is no longer an outlandish but rather a mainstream topic in every European country. 

The question is what will be the exact trigger to force the widespread legalization of the plant. It could be Switzerland’s market, due to kick off this year. It could be that legalizing formal industries in places like Portugal and the seed market in Luxembourg will also pave a path.

But no matter what “it” is, at least talk of full and final reform will be abloom in every European political capital this spring.

Be sure to book your tickets to the International Cannabis Business Conference when it returns to Europe, starting with Barcelona in March!

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Did Cannabis Reform In Europe Increase Use Among Young People?

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Politics.

One of the most popular talking points for cannabis prohibitionists is the ‘what about the children?’ talking point. Cannabis opponents go to that talking point early and often whenever cannabis reform is being proposed in any jurisdiction, including in Europe.

In recent years medical cannabis reform has spread across the European continent, with countless patients now being able to safely access medical cannabis products where they live. Not all countries’ medical cannabis programs are created equal, as proven by a comparison between the United Kingdom and Germany.

Germany is home to the most well-established medical cannabis program in Europe and the largest medical cannabis industry on the continent. Patients can easily acquire medical cannabis products from licensed pharmacies. Compare that to the United Kingdom where only three patients had received any medical cannabis products as of last summer.

With so much medical cannabis reform sweeping the European continent, many are wondering if it had any impact on youth consumption rates on the continent? After all, cannabis opponents tried so hard to convince people that reforming cannabis laws would lead to a doomsday scenario in Europe. A study was recently conducted that sought to answer that question, and spoiler alert – it was not favorable to the claims of cannabis opponents.

Youth Consumption Rates Spanning 20+ Years

A team of researchers in Sweden recently examined data of self-reported cannabis use spanning a period from 1994 to 2017. During that span of time many countries in Europe reformed their cannabis laws in one way or another, including the countries where data was sourced from (Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom).

“Cannabis policy varies greatly across European countries, but evidence of how such policy impacts on recreational cannabis use among young people is conflicting. This study aimed to clarify this association by investigating how changes in cannabis legislation influenced cannabis use.” the study’s authors stated.

“Available data on self-reports of recreational cannabis use among individuals aged 15-34 years was retrieved from EMCDDA. Information on cannabis policy changes was categorized as more lenient (decriminalisation or depenalisation) or stricter (criminalisation, penalisation). Countries that had implemented changes in cannabis legislation or had information on prevalence of use for at least eight calendar years, were eligible for inclusion. We used interrupted time-series linear models to investigate changes in country-specific trajectories of prevalence over calendar time and in relation to policy changes.” the researchers stated regarding their methodology.

The researchers concluded that “Our findings do not support any considerable impact of cannabis legislation on the prevalence of recreational cannabis use among youth and young adults in Europe.”

The Same Will Likely Prove True For Adult-Use Legalization

Europe’s cannabis community experienced a major milestone at the end of last year when Malta became the first country on the continent to legalize cannabis for adult use. The new law makes it legal for adults to cultivate, possess, and consume cannabis. The measure will also legalize cannabis clubs, although it will not legalize adult-use sales.

Legalization efforts are well underway in other European countries as well, with Luxembourg, Germany, and possibly Italy legalizing cannabis for adult use in the near future. That will increase pressure on other countries, including Spain where our next event will be held in March, to ramp up adult-use legalization efforts as well.

Unfortuantely, that ramping up of legalization efforts across the continent will likely be paralleled by claims from cannabis opponents that cannabis legalization will result in a stoned youth epidemic. Feel free to point to the results of the study contained in this article to debunk their claims. Just as those claims proved to be unfounded when it came to medical cannabis reform, the same will likely be true for adult-use reform.

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Adult-Use Sales In Germany May Go Beyond Pharmacy Distribution

Written by Johnny Green on . Posted in Business, Politics.

Germany is currently home to Europe’s largest legal cannabis industry. Part of that is due to Germany’s population of roughly 83 million people and part of that is also due to Germany being home to the fourth-largest economy on earth.

Another contributing factor is Germany’s approach to medical cannabis policy and the nation’s medical cannabis industry framework. Germany has embraced the medical cannabis industry in ways that most other countries have yet to do, both in Europe and abroad.

Every passing year results in Germany’s medical cannabis industry becoming larger, and that is being accelerated by domestic cannabis production. Initially, Germany imported all of its medical cannabis products which resulted in Germany being the world’s largest importer of medical cannabis (over 9,000 kilograms in 2020 alone).

Germany is no longer the largest importer of medical cannabis. Israel recently took over that title. However, the industry is as strong as ever, and when Germany legalizes cannabis for adult use and launches an adult-use industry in the near future, the nation’s emerging cannabis industry will be enormous.

Hints Of Regulations

Germany’s Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) recently participated in an interview during which he provided quite a bit of insight into what Germany’s eventual adult-use cannabis industry may look like.

The governing coalition previously indicated a desire to legalize cannabis for adult use, and part of the policy change would include regulations for adult-use sales. Below are additional emerging details via Radio Eins (translated from German):

The goal agreed by the SPD, Greens and FDP in the coalition agreement is clear: “It should be legally possible for adults to buy cannabis in licensed shops,” said the Minister of the German Press Agency. This could be pharmacies, for example, “but we may also continue to draw the circle”. A prerequisite could be a “required expertise of the sales staff”. This would enable the salespeople to “provide information about the products and counteract risky cannabis use, especially in the case of recognizable addicts”.

For him, as Minister of Justice, it is clear: “If there are shops that are legally allowed to sell cannabis, then there must also be producers who are allowed to grow and sell it legally”. Possession must then also be legal for adults up to a maximum limit to be stipulated in the law. And cannabis will be “subject to some form of taxation, like other consumer products”.

Adult-Use Cannabis Taxation

Cannabis taxes were also discussed during the interview, and the Minister indicated that he was not worried about taxation making it harder to compete with the unregulated market.

As long as the taxation is not too burdensome, most consumers will not care about higher prices up to a point. The benefit of being able to go into a fixed location during set business hours to choose from a variety of products in a legal setting is well worth an additional cost within reason.

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Spanish Cannabis Reform: A Rumble On The Horizon

Written by Marguerite Arnold on . Posted in Politics.

The entire cannabis conversation has moved forward, dramatically, over the last year in Europe. Where does this leave Spain?

As anyone who has watched the American market, in particular, jolt slowly forward over the last seven years is beginning to see, there are similarities to what is going on in Europe now. Nothing is exactly the same of course, and the reform on the table here is sovereign rather than state. Regardless, there are indeed curious parallels afoot.

Even leaving Switzerland out of this (as it is outside of the EU), Germany has now joined the list of nations to put cannabis reform on its legislative “to do” list along with Portugal, Malta crossed the line and even France has now formalized its CBD market. In this context, the issue of Spanish reform looms large. This is even more true as Holland formalizes its cultivation market nationally and Luxembourg begins to dip its tentative heels into the seed market.

Spain, particularly given the fact that its industry is organized roughly in a cross between what Holland is (coffee shops as the focus of the retail trade but a yet formally legal cultivation network) and what Switzerland is rapidly shaping up to be, is now on the hot seat to begin to formalize this entire discussion. This is even more true given what is about to happen right next door in Portugal.

Where Do Things Stand in Spain?

The issue of reform is even more pressing given the kinds of danger those who run the clubs still face. Albert Tió, the man given credit for kicking off the entire club discussion in Spain, is still serving jail time. Yet those in both Barcelona and the Basque region (the area of the country with the second-highest concentration of clubs), have bravely fought on through the Pandemic to establish a formal industry, not to mention the federal and even EU level reform that must precede it.

Cannabis is technically decriminalized in the country. GMP grade cannabis production is also taking place (four licenses to do so have been issued by the national medication agency here). 

However, the grey zones are rapidly becoming less attractive for an industry that has both survived if not thrived in the Pandemic and further, seen significant progress just over national borders within the same region.

Indeed, both Spain and Greece are front and centre for announcements of further reform, and activists if not the flourishing industry are well aware of the same, not to mention what is afoot in Central and South America. That is why for many their new year’s resolution in 2022 is cannabis reform now, en españa.

The International Cannabis Business Conference is returning to Barcelona in March 2022! Book your tickets now!