Spain was one of the first countries in Europe to decriminalise the personal use and cultivation of Cannabis. Legislation also allows for the cultivation and personal use of cannabis for recreational and medical reasons. However, in much of the country, patients do not benefit from medical cannabis infrastructure.
There are a number of facilities in Spain dedicated to the production of medical cannabis, however, all of this product is destined for export. Spain’s Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) recently granted another export license to Spain-based company, Medalchemy. The company is owned by UK-based, European medical cannabis company, Emmac Life Sciences Ltd.
The new license allows Medalchemy to export various medical cannabis products from Spain to other countries where legislation allows. Medalchemy was granted the license on the ground that it conforms to manufacturing standards necessary for the production of cannabis products for medical purposes.
Antonio Costanzo, CEO of EMMAC, said in a press release:
“This is a landmark announcement for EMMAC, and is the realisation of our vision to create a vertically integrated multi-national operation… We focus now on scaling production of our medical cannabis export to meet growing patient demand.”
Emmac Life Sciences Ltd is Europe’s leading producer and supplier of medical cannabis products. Medalchemy is the company’s wholly-owned GMP-certified manufacturer based in Alicante, Spain.
But while medical cannabis products are routinely exported to other parts of the world, Spain lacks its own supply sector. It is technically legal in Spain to consume cannabis – for both medical and recreational purposes – in your own home and private property. However, the supply of cannabis remains prohibited.
This prohibition includes medical cannabis products, leaving many patients with no choice but to use illicit products. There are projects, such as Dos Emociones, however, which aim to educate patients on where to buy, and how to grow medical cannabis.
Another project, the Spanish Observatory of Medicinal Cannabis, aims to achieve medical cannabis regulation in the country. This project focuses on scientific research, regulatory and policy aspects of medical cannabis.
Medalchemy’s license is the first to be granted under Spain’s coalition government between the PSOE and Podemos. This is surprising to some, given Podemos’ position on the legalization of cannabis. The progression of both medical and recreational cannabis has so far not been pushed by the Spanish government.
