It is no secret that Spain is home to one of the best cannabis communities on earth and that at the heart of that community is private cannabis clubs. Spain is home to hundreds of cannabis clubs, with the Barcelona region being particularly well-known for its cannabis clubs.
The ‘club model’ is largely a Spanish creation. The model involves people signing up for private membership to a cannabis club and paying a fee, after which they can frequent the club to purchase cannabis and socialize. It’s how many people both locally and from around the world acquire their cannabis and/or entertain themselves in Spain.
Unfortunately, the clubs are not technically recognized as being legal by Spain’s government, and even though Barcelona specifically passed a local measure to allow cannabis clubs, that measure was eventually overturned by Spain’s top court. Enforcement is lax in Spain, however, clubs operate in a legal gray area.
Why Not Embrace Cannabis Clubs?
The cannabis club model is far from new in Spain, and unknown amounts of unregulated cannabis is sold via Spain’s cannabis clubs every day. For some reason, lawmakers in Spain seem to want to stick their heads in the sand and pretend that the clubs and their activities do not exist.
That approach will become far less tenable now that the first country in Europe has legalized cannabis for adult use. Malta passed a legalization measure late last year that will create an industry entirely based on the cannabis club model. It makes zero sense for Spain to stand by and do nothing while Malta reaps the rewards for passing sensible legislation.
Spain needs to not only allow cannabis clubs to legally operate – the country needs to embrace its cannabis clubs and help them thrive by passing sensible regulations to bring them out of the shadows and into the light. Doing so will create jobs, generate public revenues, and provide boosts to local economies. It would also help keep people out of jail.
What Does The Future Hold For Spain’s Cannabis Clubs?
The International Cannabis Business Conference is coming back to Barcelona on March 10th. The event, which is part of the world’s largest cannabis superconference along with Spannabis, will feature a panel specific to the topic of cannabis clubs in Spain and is the perfect place to gain insight into what the future may hold. The panel, titled ‘Current Challenges of Cannabis Social Clubs in Spain,’ will be moderated by Òscar Parés – Deputy Director of the ICEERS Foundation. It will also include Albert Tio, founder of Airam and President of Fedcac, and Patricia Amiguet, founder of Pachamama Cannabis Association and President of CatFAC.
This year’s conference will also feature a one-on-one fireside chat with acclaimed entertainer Jim Belushi. Jim Belushi is a man of many talents – actor, singer, comedian, dancer, and now a legal cannabis farmer. Join Jim Belushi and journalist Micha Knodt as they have a one-on-one discussion about Belushi’s career, cannabis advocacy, and his current cannabis industry endeavors via Belushi’s Farm and its famous signature brands. Belushi and Knodt will also discuss Belushi’s new hit Discovery Channel cannabis reality show ‘Growing Belushi’.
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:
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- Jamie Pearson – President and CEO, Bhang Inc
- 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
- 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
- Aaron Smith – Co-Founder and Executive Director, National Cannabis Industry Association
- Lisa Haag – Founder, MJ_Universe
- Juanma Fernández – CEO, Easy CSC Group
- 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. A limited number of tickets are still available.
This article first appeared on Internationalcbc.com and is syndicated with special permission