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 ICBC 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.
Source: This article first appeared on Internationalcbc.com and is syndicated here with special permission