Image: an indoor cannabis plantation in Spain
Spain has long found itself in a legal grey area when it comes to cannabis, or marijuana, as it is referred to in its consumable form.
Having the substance at home is completely legal if it is for personal use; however, selling it or having it or using it in public is not and can be punishable by fines and/or jail time. Many people in Spain grow their own, taking advantage of this loophole, which has led to the proliferation of grow shops, cannabis expos, and smoker's clubs all over the country.
On June 28th, one autonomous region of Spain, Catalunya, became the first to legalize the growth, transportation, use, and proliferation of cannabis clubs via parliamentary action. The Parlament passed the "Ley de Asociaciones de Personas Consumidoras de Cannabis" (Law of Personal Consumers of Cannabis).
The law permits the formation of clubs in which members pay annual dues and then purchase marijuana in its various ready-to-use forms. Normally the cannabis is grown by members of the same club, who may be paid officers and receive salary and benefits.
The only legislative opponents of the law were the PPC (People's Party of Catalunya), the local branch of the current ruling party in Spain.
Currently, Catalunya is the first autonomous region in Spain to legalize and regulate marijuana, and other regions may follow suit. With the legality of their measures questionable on a national legislative level, a similar situation to the one in the United States, where some states have legalized cannabis, is bound to be produced.
Proponents of the law say it is within Catalunya's jurisdiction to legalize marijuana, and that it will be a boon to the agriculture and tourism industries. Barcelona, the largest city in the region, is one of Europe's most visited cities, and will likely see an huge jump in the already-omnipresent cannabis clubs, as a transition is made towards permitting tourists to use them.
Those against the law claim that it is not in an autonomous region's jurisdiction to legalize controlled substances, and that furthermore, independence groups are using the measure for their own political gains.
What is clear is that Spain has long replaced Holland as an epicentre of cannabis production and consumption.
For years, Dutch criminal groups have used towns in Spain to provide cannabis for Dutch "coffee shops" where marijuana is freely sold. Furthermore, the Dutch marijuana seed industry has lost ground to Spain in production and commercial power.
Should Catalunya's pro-cannabis legislation continue to advance, Amsterdam might soon have some new rivals in the international marijuana tourism market, and may find the Spanish sun, beaches and atmosphere quite a bit to compete with.