Decades ago, when the issue of marijuana decriminalisation was re-emerging in the U.S. and in Europe, opponents of the proposal, under the pretext of ideological, moral and business considerations, often scared public opinion with exaggerated implications of the dangers of free cannabis use.
However, nowadays there are countless examples to prove that the initial fears were exaggerations based on faulty reasoning, since it was never said that decriminalisation is equal to an uncontrolled marijuana market. On the contrary, the general aim of decriminalisation is to legalise and make transparent a previously invisible system that had countless victims and only few beneficiaries.
Even though cannabis liberalisation policies in Spain are more advanced than in most European countries, in many ways lag behind countries that have had greater success. It is fair to say that the country still has a long way to go, although the first and perhaps most difficult step has already been taken.
In a previous post, I mentioned that the current legal environment on cannabis in Spain is not yet coherent enough, as it leaves many loopholes open, where actors with morally questionable motives are usually the first to step in. As a result, the public can easily but wrongly blame the adverse consequences on the liberalisation itself. In case of Barcelona, a perfect example is the deteriorating social image of cannabis clubs, despite the large number of tourists they attract to the city and the fact that they provide a living for a lot of people. The decriminalisation has brought more consumers to the city, which has led to the strengthening of illegal cannabis production thus criminal activities.
Are the residents right to complain?
Since it is not a yes or no question, the answer is complicated. Transparency, as the general goal of legalization, can be considered a nationwide action. Considering the scale of Spain, the results are better. The results can be measured in terms of a shift in drug use, as more and more people are switching from heavier drugs to lighter ones. In addition, the black market is declining, as over the last decade, demand for Spanish cannabis has grown at the expense of Moroccan hashish, causing a significant loss of income for criminal groups (EMCDDA, 2014). Nevertheless, the concerns of Barcelona residents are not unfounded. However, looking at the big picture, this is primarily a local problem that needs response from the local authorities, not least because tourism has been a growing problem in Barcelona for decades, even apart from the cannabis clubs.
(Note: As living in Barcelona, I could barely get into the city centre and I could only go to my favourite nightclubs between December and February. There is a reason why the majority of Barcelona residents feel second-class in the city and feel excluded from their own city.)
It is clear that the current legal production of cannabis does not even come close to satisfying the demand side of Spanish consumption. However, this is not the result of decriminalisation. In the absence of legal supply, 100% of consumption was covered by the black market. After the decriminalisation, this percentage has been decreasing year by year even though a slight increase in the overall consumption of cannabis can be observed.
In the 2016 article titled ‘Cannabis cultivation in Spain: A profile of plantations, growers and production systems’ published by the International Journal of Drug Policy, the authors provide an excellent summary of current issues and their consequences. They pointed out that the data behind ‘cannabis statistics’ are still uncertain, so the changes in the rate of consumption should be treated with caution.
Main findings of the study
- Cannabis-based drugs were previously produced in developing countries to meet the demand of Western consumers. However, the illegal cultivation of cannabis plants is now increasing in rich countries, including Spain.
- Canada, Mexico and the United States are among the largest producers of cannabis, while Australia and New Zealand have become fully or nearly self-sufficient.
- In Europe, countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and the United Kingdom – former importers of cannabis – have now developed their own marijuana production industries.
- Illegal marijuana production in Spain is growing rapidly, and this may be linked to the decline in Moroccan hashish exports (calculated from seizures of illegal cannabis resin, which fell by 44% between 2008 and 2014, from 683 tonnes to 380 tonnes).
- During the same period, the amount of illegal cannabis seized increased by 300%, from 4 tonnes to 16 tonnes (!)
- The decline in Moroccan production is a result of a number of local restrictive measures coordinated with the Spanish authorities. The authors of the article point to a detail from an interview with an Andalusian trader. The trader said that know-how from the West is being transferred to Morocco that can increase the potential value of the crop in a way that compensates for the loss of production areas, while not requiring price increase of the product.
- As police figures suggest, Spain has seen a significant increase in the amount of locally grown marijuana. The number of cannabis plants seized by the police in 2012 were 24 tonnes, this number was 40 tonnes in 2016 which is a 67% increase.
- Local demand for cannabis remains high.
- Spain has one of the highest rates of cannabis use in Europe.
- A national household survey conducted in 2013 found that 7% of respondents had used cannabis in the past month and 2% used it daily. In 2009 these proportions were 8% and 2%.
- The authors of the study estimate that the proportion of experimental and occasional users has decreased, while that of regular and intensive users has remained constant or increased slightly.
- The increasing price of weed from 2008 onwards could be seen as a response to the growth of demand, until local supply also increased to meet the rising demand. The researchers found this out based on the annual rate of atmospheric pollen of cannabis detected in the province of Malaga as it tripled in this same period.
- According to the study, there is considerable evidence that cannabis cultivation has grown considerably in Spain over the last five years, although there seems to be little reliable data on this process.
I think that liberalisation and its additional benefits will gradually, step by step, make the real data visible and more accessible, allowing accurate estimates and analyses to be made.
Spain is at the beginning of the process, but on the right track!
In the medium term, legalisation will bring tangible economic benefits to a wider population, which could lead to a positive feedback loop towards further opening.
I could not refrain from commenting. Perfectly written!
Thank you!