Summer drought

Hey, aren’t you in Barcelona right now? How’s the weed?

—Colocada Vale

Woot woot! Yes, indeed. I have been in Barcelona this past week for the International Cannabis Business Conference.

The ICBC (I work for them, by the way) is always dope. According to event producer Alex Rogers, just about 600 people from 60 different countries attended the day-long event. There was much discussion of the farm bill that legalized hemp farming in the United States, making it easier for American farmers to jump into this new market. High-CBD hemp plants are in demand all over the world. Apparently, CBD is the future. It will be interesting to see what that future holds.

On to the weed. Cannabis is still illegal throughout Spain, but it is widely tolerated and easy to find. There are hundreds of social clubs all over Barcelona. You have to be invited to join, or have a friend recommend you. Some places charge you a fee (usually 20 euros) to join. Once inside, you will find about 10 to 20 different kinds of weed, plus various concentrates and edibles. And coffee, snacks and good Wi-Fi, like a 420-friendly coffee shop or co-working space.

Since it’s still unregulated, you can find weed from all over the world. California weed is very popular here, but I didn’t fly to Barcelona to smoke Cali weed. I will say this about the grass in Barcelona: It may not be as flavorful as the weed on the West Coast, but collectively, Spanish weed may be the strongest weed I have ever smoked. I got knocked on my ass the first few times. Also, they love sativas up here, so look for those. I recommend the Amnesia Haze at the Dank Grass Club, and the Clementine Kush from La Kolada. I love Barcelona, and the folks out here tell me that the Cosecha Cup—a competition to find the best sungrown weed in Spain—is happening in November. I am already planning to my trip. You wanna go?

Someone told me that California is gonna run out of weed this summer. What gives?

—M. T. Coffers

Yeah. It’s gonna be brutal. All the temporary licenses that have been granted by the state are going to expire in July. The Bureau of Cannabis Control has granted annual licenses to only about 50 of the more than 6,900 businesses that have applied. There is no way for the BCC to catch up, and the deadline for extensions has passed. If nothing is done, the whole thing is effed, and the black market will continue to reign supreme. Fortunately, lawmakers have introduced Senate Bill 67, which would extend temporary licenses until the end of the year. The bill has a good chance of passing, but if you love legal cannabis, call your rep and let them know how you need them to get it together and support jobs, weed and weed jobs.