Adult cannabis consumers create a legal association. This association facilitates the cultivation of cannabis for personal use and advises the members on the effects of consuming cannabis. The members pay an amount to cover the expenses of cultivation and have the right to receive an amount for own consumption. The member obliges him/herself to only use the cannabis for own consumption. Welcome to the Cannabis Social Club.

European parliaments and governments are still against the cultivation of cannabis for regulated trade. They believe that a commercial system is against the international conventions, that it supports exportation and drug tourism, that it would be available too easily and therefore lead towards more consumption especially among the youth. The hemp shops in Switzerland or the Dutch coffee shops would be too visible and too inviting and lead to critical comments by the opponents. The most reasonable solution would be the collectivization of the personal cultivation. Non-commercial associations could group the consumers who cannot or don’t want to plant themselves.

ENCOD, a European network of more than 150 groups intervening in drug matters, is working on a model for the production and the distribution of cannabis for adults, without dealing, the Cannabis Social Club (CSC). CSCs are non profit associations who organize the professional, collective cultivation of very limited amounts of cannabis, just enough to cover the personal needs of their club members. Cultivation, transport, distribution and consumption would have to be submitted to security and quality checks, all this without publicity, shop signs or windows. The members finance this system by subscriptions according to their needs. Each member gets a value card with units, according to his credit with maximum limits for year and month. There would not be any dealing possible. The members are not allowed to sell any cannabis and must make sure that it isn’t consumed by minors.

These private users circles will also be able to offer to their members a space for the consumption of cannabis, in exchange for a strict separation of the narcotics markets and consumption, for a policy of fight against street violence, for tracking problematic users and directing them towards structures of prevention and assistance. These Associations will have to respect a variety of conditions: the prohibition of the sale of alcohol and its consumption, the obligation to provide vaporizers and the participation in prevention campaigns against smoke and other medical topics, like polyconsumption, the prevention of violence. The authorities would be able to limit the number and the storage areas of clubs according to requirements of law and order. The system of a non profit association would guarantee that the owner or the employees do not push consumption.

Better methods for public health and environment will be used for cannabis cultivation. The black market, with its problems which include the rise of THC content, stretching products, high prices, violence, selling to minors, the misery of open drug scenes will diminish. The authorities could establish a reasonable frame and control for CSCs during the entire process from cultivation to consumption. CSCs could create jobs and officially buy considerable amounts of goods and services which are taxed. This system could quickly bring an alternative for black market consumers.

The international conventions do not require countries to prosecute self production and self consumption of cannabis. Governments can introduce legalized self-production and consumption without having to fear international sanctions. These measures could be some bases for reasonable politics, but they are not sufficient. The self-cultivation would not be sufficient for the huge demand and doesn’t offer enough guidelines for clean production or the black market. Therefore a more developed system for production and distribution is necessary.

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