It is an interesting topic for all marijuana enthusiasts to discuss the cannabis industry in Portugal. For one, it has been widely known that marijuana and all other kinds of narcotics have been decriminalized since 2001. While this may seem like a game-changer for stoners all around the world, it may not be as simple as that. There are certain rules and regulations about the drug that still play a part in the cannabis industry. Even if Portugal has been dubbed the “new Amsterdam” by many people, there are still some ground rules to remember when visiting this place.
Before we get into all of this, one thing must be pointed out first: while it is very unlikely that you will get in trouble for consuming marijuana in Portugal, possessing and cultivating cannabis seeds is a different matter entirely. We will discuss all of those in this article. You may use this as a point of reference for whenever you plan on taking a marijuana vacation in Portugal.
CANNABIS HISTORY IN PORTUGAL:
Portugal’s history with cannabis can be traced back to the 1500s when the country opened up its shores to the world in search of trade and industry. This caused India to ship out to Portugal and introduce a number of items to the Portuguese people. One of these commodities, of course, included the cannabis plant. As a result, people from this country started cultivating the cannabis plant extensively. They soon found many uses for the plant including medical and recreational purposes. During the early 1800s, Portugal’s voyage across the world led it to introduce cannabis to other nations. Among these, it is most famous for bringing the cannabis plant to Brazil and making use of its healthy nutrients and fibers.
When the time can for the whole world to start banning the use of marijuana during the 1900s, Portugal was one of the nations to comply. This lasted well into the next century until the Portuguese government encountered another problem.
Decriminalization of cannabis:
The national government found its citizens dealing with major drug problems. However, this wasn’t limited to just cannabis. All other types of narcotics started causing major drug addiction problems. Despite the prohibition of illegal substances, citizens still found ways to get their hands on certain drugs and abuse them. Without having much of a choice, the Portuguese government decided to take a more unorthodox way of solving this problem.
In 2001, the national government decided to decriminalize all illegal drugs listed under the Narcotics Act. With this, they had hoped that people could satisfy their cravings all while heavily regulating such activities. Keep in mind, that decriminalizing it does not necessarily mean that it is legal. This means that failure to stay away from such substances will not result in any criminal consequences. Rather, fines and other forms of penalties were implemented.
CANNABIS RULES AND REGULATIONS IN PORTUGAL:
Portuguese citizens were allowed to possess up to 25 grams of dried cannabis flowers and up to 5 grams of cannabis hash. Additionally, any private supplies of cannabis were unrestricted so long as they are kept hidden and used for personal consumption only. Now, you may be thinking that decriminalizing all illegal drugs would be hard to regulate. However, it works in such a way that the first offense with merit penalties such as fines. In any other subsequent case, civil punishments may be implemented by law enforcers.
Additionally, the sale and cultivation of cannabis seeds in Portugal are wholly prohibited except for licensed and official dealers. While smoking marijuana may be bypassed by some authorities, cannabis seeds are seen as illegal and may result in imprisonment. However, this does not mean that people avoid doing it. Many times, growers hide their stash indoors and keep their cultivation activities a secret. This is a great way of ensuring the cannabis scene in Portugal stays alive throughout the years.
While it is technically decriminalized, marijuana still isn’t fully legal, and being careless while consuming it can lead you to serious legal problems. In order to avoid this, the best thing to do would be to read and understand the basic rules and policies of cannabis in this country. It is a great place to get high in and it is definitely on its way to becoming fully legal.
