Catalonia legalises cannabis cultivation and distribution

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Catalonia legalises cannabis cultivation and distribution

3 July 2017

The Parliament of Catalonia has approved the creation of a legal framework for regulating the cultivation, distribution, and consumption of cannabis.

On June 28, members of the Catalonia Parliament voted to approve the creation of a regulated framework for cannabis social clubs (CSCs) across the autonomous Spanish region, with 118 legislators supporting the measure, and only eight opposing it. CSCs are collectives in which cannabis is cultivated and distributed – not sold – among members who pay for the costs of running and maintaining the club. Selling cannabis remains illegal.

The new law - which originated as a citizens' legislative initiative that gained the requisite 50,000 signatures to be debated in parliament – aims to reduce potential risks of the trade and consumption of cannabis by introducing regulations on its production and distribution.

Catalonia is the third regional government in Spain to approve such a law, following similar reforms in the Navarra and Basque Country regions in the north of the country. Amber Marks, a barrister and academic who recently published a paper on Spanish cannabis law and human rights law on cannabis around the world, told TalkingDrugs that the vote in Catalonia was markedly different to cannabis reforms elsewhere in Spain.

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Thumbnail: CC Wikipedia Marijuana leaf