Increase in cannabis pollen linked to illegal growth in Spain

Researchers at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena in Spain have come to an interesting conclusion. Recently, the amount of cannabis pollen in the air has increased dramatically. It is not unreasonable to posit, as the polytech scientists have now done, that the total amount of illicit cultivation in the region has increased significantly over the past four to five years.

Cartagena scientists have been tracking cannabis pollen for decades to try to determine the level of cannabis production and provenance in the cities of Cartagena, Murcia and Lorca. The three cities are across the Alboran Sea from Algeria and Morocco.

What they found recently, along with an increase in total volume, is that only a small amount of the particles in the air originate from North Africa. That too is trending. Authorities have noted that cultivation in Spain has increased and dependence on hash from abroad has decreased.

Of the three cities, Lorca and Cartagena stood out, registering more than 80 grains of pollen per cubic meter, with Murcia reaching a peak of 66 in 2020. This is a significant delta considering the three cities registered values ​​between 19 and 27 inches in 2017.

This conclusion stems from the fact that there has been a dramatic increase in busts in the area over the same period.

The Spanish Cannabis Uprising

While most people, starting with the Spanish government, have focused on the burgeoning cannabis club industry in and around Barcelona, ​​the reality is that illegal cannabis cultivation – let alone use – is widespread in Spain. This is something authorities belatedly come to grips with when trying to figure out how to handle a situation where the horse has clearly left the stable.

Since last year, the government has started formally considering how to recognize the medicinal properties of the plant. In addition, the Spanish legalization discussion is currently in an interesting place. Cultivation for the clubs is widespread, as are the clubs themselves, particularly in Catalonia and the Basque Country. In addition, there are four government-issued licenses that allow the cultivation and processing of GMP or pharmaceutical cannabis – but only for export. Hemp is also allowed as long as it is used for industrial purposes.

But it clearly doesn’t stop there. Spanish bootleg products are popping up all over Europe right now – and not just of the CBD variety. There is more illegal production here than authorities can ever control – which is why there have been some very public and large national arrests recently.

Meanwhile, Germany has decided to accelerate its plans to legalize recreational activities.

If the Spaniards intend to defy the obvious, only one thing will do. Deprive the government of tax revenue unless tourist dollars are spent elsewhere. The effects of the German decision are also incomprehensible, for a very simple reason: there is enormous German investment in the Spanish economy. And while that’s mostly real estate and banking for now, there’s no reason it can’t, and soon, extend to cannabis.

Pollen test confirms the obvious

The Spanish pollen test appears to be the first of its kind. Most air quality studies in this industry have focused on emissions from indoor growing in Colorado and California. In addition, government agencies primarily try to understand drug use (in the US and Europe) by measuring metabolites collected from urban runoff. In Europe, the latest major study of the same found that the highest concentrations of THC metabolites were found in cities in Croatia, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain.

With not only Spanish citizens growing and using cannabis – and apparently increasing as countries in Europe engage in recreational reforms – it seems only a matter of time before Spanish politics finally catches up. And of course when they do, there will be a much easier way to measure both cultivation and consumption in terms of legal, regulated, and taxable production and sale.