Prosecutors want 7 years in prison plus fines for owners of a cannabis club in Lanzarote

The Provincial Court of Las Palmas will pass judgement in Arrecife on Wednesday, of the president and the secretary of the Weed Apothecary Cannabis Association of Lanzarote which is accused of a crime against public health and another of illicit association.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, the incidents date back to February 2016, when the accused CG assumed the position of president and NJ assumed the position of secretary. In its Statutes, the association established that it would develop a project to "reduce the risk associated with the use of cannabis."

According to the Public Ministry, the defendants allegedly obtained hashish and marijuana from different suppliers without having "any administrative authorisation" for the production and distribution of marijuana, nor having requested a license from the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products.

The Prosecutor's Office defends that "since they assumed the charges the accused allegedly intended to allow access to substances that cause damage to health to an indiscriminate plurality of people. To access the association, any person who was a consumer of cannabinoids or had been diagnosed with a disease so that the therapeutic or palliative use of cannabinoids has been scientifically proven could do so.”

From 28th April 2016 until 7th February 2019, the association had 1,501 members, however, the Public Ministry claims that "none of the association's rules contemplated that the consumption of cannabis be shared among the members, nor that they could obtain cannabis, nor that a maximum withdrawal limit was set."

Along these lines, he states that both the accused used the association for the purpose of selling and distributing marijuana and hashish to third parties in exchange for money "with total disregard for the health of others".

On March 14, 2019, the commercial premises were entered and searched. In that search, a precision scale, a membership book, 2,377 euros in cash and various narcotic quantities of hashish, cannabis resin, and marijuana packaged in small containers, jars, and bags were found.

In total, the substances found amount to 47.07 grams of hashish worth 256 euros, 11.7 grams of hashish oil worth 157 euros, and 3,070 grams of marijuana worth 15,477 euros.

The Prosecutor's Office attributes to them the authorship of a crime against public health and another of illicit association. In addition, it requests a three-year prison sentence for a crime against public health for the president of the cannabis club, plus a fine of 31,783 euros, with subsidiary civil liability and special disqualification from passive suffrage. In addition to four years in prison for the crime of illicit association and ten years of disqualification from employment or public office, plus a 24-month fine with a daily fee of 12 euros of subsidiary liability.

While for the secretary they request a three-year prison sentence for a crime against public health, a fine of 31,783 euros, with subsidiary civil liability, and special disqualification from passive suffrage. In addition to three years in prison for the crime of illicit association and a 24-month fine with a fee of 12 euros per day of subsidiary liability.

Furthermore, the Public Ministry concludes by requesting the dissolution of the alleged illicit association.