Kayleigh Beardsley
WEED sellers in Barcelona’s old city have been registering as florists to overcome zoning rules, much to the actual florists annoyance.
Around 250 outlets are trading cannabis paraphernalia such as bongs, hookahs, and CBD oil.
Interestingly, 118 new ‘florists’ have popped up in Ciutat Vella, a well favoured area for tourists, in the last 6 years.
In other areas of the city, only 21 have been registered.
The Barcelona Florists Association claims they are unaware of any boom in flower selling and that the number of florists in the city has been stable for years.
Barna Centre, the local shopkeepers association, is unhappy with the recent influx as most places being taken over are left from businesses that shut in the pandemic.
The association is calling for the local authority to introduce a specific licence for these shops to stop them from posing as florists.
In Spain, it is legal to use non-psychoactive CBD oil, which can be used to treat chronic pain, anxiety, and other conditions.
However, these new shops are also allegedly offering items such as lollipops and brownies that contain illegal amounts, as much as 150mg of Tetrahydrocannabinol, or – THC.
THC is the element in cannabis that produces a high.
In addition to the new ‘florists’ arriving in the city, Barcelona also has its hands full with cannabis clubs.
The 200 clubs are meant to follow strict rules limiting them to selling to members, growing only 150 kg of marijuana a year, and not making any profit.
Authorities claim that many are not following the rules and that they are selling to tourists.
