Catalonia legalises marijuana consumption, cultivation and distribution

It follows a campaign which gathered 67,500 petition signatures, forcing a government debate

The government of Catalonia has legalised marijuana, making the autonomous Spanish region the latest part of the world to loosen restrictions on use of the drug. The cultivation, consumption and distribution of cannabis will be permitted for members of designated clubs after the region's parliament voted to regulate them. It follows a campaign which gathered 67,500 petition signatures, forcing a government debate. Cannabis clubs previously existed in a state of legal limbo in Catalonia after emerging in response to strict fines issued by the national government to users caught taking the drug in public. [caption id="attachment_5567" align="alignnone" width="300"] Morocco
Farmers destroy cannabis plantations under Moroccan police supervision in the northern Moroccan Larache region, pictured here in 2006 AFP/Getty images
Some 118 of Catalonia's 127 ministers voted in favour of regulating[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_5568" align="alignnone" width="300"] Colorado
Growing business: Cannabis on sale at River Rock Wellness
Sam Adams[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_5571" align="alignnone" width="300"] Oakland
Oaksterdam in Oakland, California, is the world's only university dedicated to the study and cultivation of cannabis
Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_5572" align="alignnone" width="223"] Seattle A cannabis smoker marks the start of the new law by the Space Needle in Seattle
Getty Images[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_3127" align="alignnone" width="300"] China Cannabis growing wild in China, where it has been to treat conditions such as gout and malaria[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_5573" align="alignnone" width="300"] Uruguay has voted to make the country the first to legalize marijuana
AFP/Getty[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_5576" align="alignnone" width="300"] Colorado
A groundswell of support from the public led to full legalisation in Colorado
Getty Images[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_5578" align="alignnone" width="300"] Berlin A man smokes licenced medicinal marijuana prior to participating in the annual Hemp Parade, or 'Hanfparade', in support of the legalization of marijuana in Germany on August 7, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. The consumption of cannabis in Germany is legal, though all other aspects, including growing, importing or selling it, are not. However, since the introduction of a new law in 2009, the sale and possession of marijuana for licenced medicinal use is legal.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_5579" align="alignnone" width="300"] The UK latest figures show 2.3 million people used cannabis in the last year
AP[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_5580" align="alignnone" width="300"] AmsterdamTourists visiting Amsterdam will not be banned from using the city’s famous cannabis cafes
Getty Images[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_3329" align="alignnone" width="300"] Merseyside[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_5581" align="alignnone" width="300"] San Francisco April 20, 2012: People smoke marijuana joints at 4:20 p.m. as thousands of marijuana advocates gathered at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. The event was held on April 20, a date corresponding with a numerical 4/20 code widely known within the cannabis subculture as a symbol for all things marijuana.
Reuters[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_5582" align="alignnone" width="300"] Spain
A cannabis users' association will pay the town of Rasquera more than €600,000 a year for the lease of the land[/caption] Some 118 of Catalonia's 127 ministers voted in favour of regulating the clubs, with broad cross-party support for the move. Clubs must be self-sufficient non-profit associations that only distribute cannabis to members aged over 18. They will be limited to producing 150kg of the dried drug a year and subject to rules designed to stop drug tourism. In 2014, officials in the Catalan capital Barcelona attempted to curb the boom in cannabis use over fears the city was growing to rival Amsterdam as a marijuana haven. Under the new legal framework, members will not be able to acquire cannabis for 15 days after joining a club. Alba Verges, chairwoman of the parliamentary health commission, told HuffPost Spain: "The law we will approve is very advanced and gives a very clear message. It’s time for a paradigm shift when it comes to legislating drugs." Ministers voted on Wednesday after receiving a report compiled with with contributions from more than 30 cannabis experts, including psychologists, sociologists and pharmacologists. On Saturday Nevada will become the fifth US state to have legalisation the sale of cannabis, while there are growing campaigns to follow suit in Germany and the UK. Spain's federal government could look to challenge Catalonia's legalisation. Last year Spain's highest court overturned Catalonia's 2013 ban on bullfighting after Madrid's ruling party argued it harmed artistic freedom and cultural heritage. In early June the Catalan government announced plans to hold an independence referendum on 1 October, reigniting an ongoing row with Madrid over its secession. Source: Independent Author: Chris Baynes Website: Independent URL: http://www.independent.co.uk _______________________ SOFTSECETS Follow us: Facebook | Instagram   Save