Is Portugal On Track To Be The “Export King” Of Europe?
The EU member country’s exports rose by 566%. Is the country on track to supply Europe?
Portugal’s cannabis exports exploded in 2021, creating a volume almost six times higher than the year before. Ten tons of cannabis were exported in 2021, according to information from Infarmed, the national medicine authority. What gives?
Portugal has played an interesting role in cannabis reform across Europe for the past five years. In 2017, Tilray astounded everyone in the industry by pulling out of the German cultivation bid to establish a growing facility in the country. Since then, the cultivation industry has grown here, in part because of more favourable legislation and a licensing process that is not set at a limited number (like both Spain and Germany). There are currently 18 companies authorized to grow cannabis for export, although Tilray remains the only company with the authorization to sell flowers (with 18% THC). There are 80 more cultivation companies awaiting inspection but who also have obtained a pre-license.
Other EU Countries Are Not Moving Forward with Cannabis Cultivation
There are several reasons that Portugal is shaping up to be a major export player across Europe, starting with the fact that most other countries with similar climates as well as cheaper labor rates have just not allowed the industry to flourish. In the meantime, the demand for medical-grade cannabis has not abated, starting in Germany. Beyond this, even other EU countries with plans to allow recreational reform are not planning on cultivation. Switzerland is currently the one exception and of course, it is not an EU country. That is also likely to change as the demand for recreational cannabis grows.
So, while the authorizations in Portugal might be slow, they are at least in process. In most other European countries, this kind of pipeline has just not been created. In Spain, for example, in direct contrast, the authorities have refused to even consider granting new cultivation licenses because they do not want them to be auctioned to the highest bidder. Greece has also, despite the early interest and clear indications that they also wanted to be at least in the export market, just not kept pace.
Implications For Certified Cannabis Across Europe
Beyond cultivation opportunities, there are also activities in the country that are allowing Portugal to become not only a major exporter, but a pass-through gateway for the rest of Europe. Many companies are setting up shop exclusively to recertify GACP cannabis from the rest of the world as EU GMP so it may then also be sold as medical grade.
Cannabis “from Portugal” in other words is likely to end up in almost every country in Europe if it has not already, and for all of the above reasons.
