Spanish Town Wants To Grow Marijuana To Pay Off Debt
Please note that we are not authorised to provide any investment advice. The content on this page is for information purposes only.
Local authorities from the tiny village of Rasquera, in the northeast region of Spain, have voted to lease out a small plot of their land to a local cannabis advocacy group that would grow, harvest and package marijuana in the village – creating 40 jobs in the process.
The town hall councillors of Rasquera, which has a population of 900 people, approved the plan on Wednesday night in a 4-3 vote, which would hopefully allow the village to pay off their 1.3 million euro ($1.72 million) debt in two years.
Local authorities from the tiny village of Rasquera, in the northeast region of Spain, have voted to lease out a small plot of their land to a local cannabis advocacy group that would grow, harvest and package marijuana in the village – creating 40 jobs in the process.
The town hall councillors of Rasquera, which has a population of 900 people, approved the plan on Wednesday night in a 4-3 vote, which would hopefully allow the village to pay off their 1.3 million euro ($1.72 million) debt in two years.
The mayor of Rasquera, which is located among one of Spains’s most picturesque hilly region, added that the project would not only help benefit the locals financially, but also eliminate the risk of organised crime and tax evasion associated with the cannabis industry, thanks to local government supervision.
“We want to put an end to mafias, we want to finish with the black market, we want to put an end to the underground economy,” said Bernat Pellisa, Rasquera’s mayor of nine years, in an interview with Reuters.
[quote]”The only thing this humble mayor wants and has tried to do is to supervise all this in order to benefit society and the neighbours of our village,” he added.[/quote]Related: Why Legalising – And Taxing – Marijuana Is Great Economics
Related: Legalize It ??? Pot As Cure for California Fiscal Disaster ???
Related: Drug Capitals of the World
Under Spanish law, the cultivation and consumption of marijuana is allowed in small amounts, as long as it is “for personal and shared used.” As such, the organisation that wishes to lease the land, the Barcelona Personal Use Cannabis Association (ABCDA), has claimed that the plantation in Rasquera will not be a business-orientated project, but rather for their members’ personal consumption.
“The goal is not to maximize our profits or produce as much as possible, but to produce with quality in a controlled environment to supply users…in a responsible, appropriate and informed manner,” said Marta Suarez, the spokeswoman for ABCDA, who has 5,000 members.
ABCDA will pay Rasquera 54,170 euros ($71,693) a month for the use of a 15-hectare plot of land. Local authorities also suggest that 40 jobs could be created as a result of the deal.
But an official from The National Drug Plan official on Thursday told the Associated Press that the project has zero chance of getting off the ground. Regional government authorities have also requested Rasquera officials for further information about the plan, as “security and risk control” issues remain unclear at this stage.
Residents in Rasquera have also had mixed emotions about the news, with some citizens worried about the negative connotations related to cannabis, while others supported the initiative, but only if it abides by national laws.
“It’s a potential solution for the government to pay our debt. They are working to check out if it’s legal and if they can regularize it. And if it is possible, then perfect,” said Rasquera resident Josep Francesc.
[quote]”I haven’t smoked since I did my military service, but I’d go and work planting marijuana because I haven’t had a job for two years,” added local farm labourer Mario Amorós to the Guardian.[/quote]Related: Spain Economy
Related: Spain Economic Statistics and Indicators
Many Spanish cities and towns are trying to cope with the crippling national debt crisis by cutting spending on things like social services such as health care and education.
Spain’s deficit for 2011 was 8.5 percent of its GDP, with the country susceptible to another recession, particularly as unemployment is nearly 23 percent.
