Cannabis Travelogue: Europe

from Cannabis by the Sea Magazine, Winter 2022

Planning for the New Year

By Amy Steinfeld

Last year, I ran off to Europe with my family. Not for a week or two, but nearly a year. Sure, it’s a little crazy to take a sabbatical in the middle of my career, but I was ready for a break after nearly 20 years of practicing environmental law. The timing actually worked out well; most of my clients’ cannabis appeals had been resolved. Besides some R&R, I was eager to learn first-hand about Europe’s efforts to legalize cannabis, deepen my understanding of international cannabis law, and scope out the local cannabis scene.

Caveat emptor

Surprise! In virtually every country we visited, we found a proliferation of slick cannabis shops. I even spotted weed vending machines in Italy! Upon closer look, the product had less than 0.2 or 0.3 percent THC, deemed “cannabis light.” In fact, throughout Europe, “weed” tourism stores hawk pricey “cannabis light,” which unsuspecting tourists purchase hoping for a high. Some friends thought they scored some legal weed in Dubrovnik, but were disappointed with the low potency hidden in the fine print—40 Euros down the drain! Turns out the main offering in Europe is actually CBD, which has become ubiquitous just as in the U.S. But CBN, CBG, and Delta-8 THC are off the radar.

In Barcelona, they’ve created a narrow opening for legal cannabis use: private social clubs that offer a place for members to procure and consume (similar to the loophole in U.S. Prohibition a century ago). I wanted to see what this looked like in practice so I dragged my husband to the nearest club. Actually, finding it was a bit of a challenge; we walked right past the unmarked door a couple of times before knocking. It felt like a modern speakeasy. The attendant smirked as he looked at our American passports, before issuing us both year-long club memberships for €20 each. Through another door, we entered a narrow, smoky, but tidy room with red vinyl booths. The budtender explained they had two offerings: Spanish weed and “California” weed, the latter in “Big Sur” or “Orange County” varietals. I laughed out loud at the second one, having grown up in Irvine. They also sold edibles, which claimed a THC content of 5000 mg—surely mislabeled, or enough to fell an elephant. Such questionably sourced cannabis made me appreciate California’s stringent supply-chain tracking and testing protocols.

Beyond these grey-area clubs, recreational cannabis remains essentially illegal in Europe. Even in the Netherlands, contrary to popular belief, the cultivation

and possession of cannabis are technically illegal—though the sale of small amounts of cannabis in coffee shops has been tolerated since the seventies. As a result, Amsterdam’s regulated 160 coffee shops are thriving, and recent efforts to limit tourists from imbibing have failed.

Only in Malta

Only the tiny island nation of Malta has actually legalized recreational cannabis. Some countries, such as Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Portugal and Switzerland, have decriminalized pot over the past few decades. Several other countries have loosened criminal penalties. Europe, while often a leader on progressive issues, is taking a much slower and more conservative approach to cannabis legalization and normalization than North America. Medical cannabis is legal in a few countries, but access is tightly controlled and limited to pharmaceutical drugs like Sativex, which is not prescribed anywhere as liberally as medical cannabis in the U.S. Doctors only prescribe cannabis for a narrow set of diseases, and patients don’t yet turn to the plant for health and wellness. I was surprised to discover that weed is not as deeply embedded in European culture as in the U.S. (Now alcohol, on the other hand…)

Europe’s hemp industry is thriving, but its cannabis industry is nascent. EU countries are signatories to UN treaties that tightly control psychoactive substances and limit usage to medical and scientific purposes. But there has been some recent progress. In 2020 the UN removed cannabis from its most restrictive narcotic category, and the European Court of Justice ruled that CBD was not a drug under existing law. But unlike in the US, there are few influential, grassroots organizations pushing for legalization.

Currently, Germany is leading the path to recreational pot by contemplating its sale in dispensaries. To avoid violating international law, they’re considering banning imports in favor of locally grown plants. Germany is preparing to vet its plan with the European Commission to determine compliance with existing law. Germany has reported that it will only advance its draft legislation if the EU agrees the program is kosher. Other European countries are watching.

Cannabis Europa Industry Conference

In July, I invited myself to Cannabis Europa in London, the largest European industry conference. Unlike MJ Biz, I was surprised to find the crowd was largely made up of men in dark three-piece suits representing pharmaceutical or finance companies. I stood out as one of the few women present, and the vibe was serious. Europeans are obsessed with labeling and testing, even more so than California. In fact, most panelists focused on safety standards and purity for medical purposes. The speakers confirmed what I suspected—Europe is still years away from establishing legal markets.

This journey has made me grateful that I’m part of a unique, thriving cannabis industry in California, surrounded by many passionate proponents. While California’s regulations are too stringent and there is more work to be done, I feel blessed that we have access to a plethora of clean, well-labeled products. Hopefully Europe will learn from our mistakes and advance recreational cannabis. While they’ll never compete with the quality and variety of California weed, perhaps federal legalization will open up both national and global markets for our Central Coast growers.

Take more travels with Amy at her blog https://camy4ever. com/.