Portuguese cultivators have welcomed moves by the country’s police to crack down on a criminal gang using loopholes in its medical cannabis laws to cultivate and illegally export around £15m of product.
Earlier this week Portuguese police served 64 search and seizure warrants as part of operation ‘Erva Daninha’ (Weed), which had been launched in 2022 in close collaboration with Spanish police; the Policía Nacional.
The Portuguese Judicial Police – Polícia Judiciária – says that since the operation began on Tuesday, they have seized 7.3 tons of cannabis and €411,000. Five people have been arrested, with 12 vehicles and 11 weapons seized.
Images of the police raids have been published on the Polícia Judiciária Facebook page and can be viewed here. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2229281747531207
A Judicial Police statement to Business of Cannabis says: “The investigations revealed that the criminal organization, aware of the flaws in the inspection and control system for exports of medicinal cannabis in Portugal, acquired pharmaceutical companies, then created commercial companies licensed for the wholesale trade, import and export of medicinal cannabis, ending up, in reality, sending several thousand kilos of cannabis to illicit markets using false documentation and certificates.”
The police say that as well as the 64 warrants domestically, and on the island of Madeira, another six were enacted in Spain, one in Bulgaria and another in Cyprus.
After Canada, Portugal is the second largest cannabis cultivator on the planet with some 41 companies licensed for cannabis cultivation, 24 for manufacturing, 51 for import, 51 for export and 15 for trade and distribution.
One of these cultivators is US-based Curaleaf International and, in a statement released to Business of Cannabis, its Head Juan Martinez welcomed the moves.
He said: “These actions help protect responsible operators and preserve the credibility of the sector.
“At Curaleaf International, we are committed to transparency, quality, and full regulatory alignment across all our markets.
“We welcome measures that uphold the integrity of the legal cannabis industry and remain focused on supporting patients, advancing scientific research, and building a responsible, sustainable global cannabis sector.”
He went on to confirm that it is not under investigation and its premises have not been searched.
He added: “Our facilities are fully licensed, regularly audited, and operate in strict adherence to both Portuguese and European regulatory requirements.
“While some in the cannabis industry may view regulation as a burden, we believe robust oversight and active enforcement are essential to ensuring patient safety, product quality, and public trust.”
In a Linkedin post commenting on the raids Denise Faltischek, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of International at Tilray, which has a 15,000sq ms medical cannabis production facility in the central Cantanhede region of the country, welcomed the police moves.
She said: “As we navigate the evolving landscape of the medicinal cannabis industry, it is crucial to uphold the highest standards of integrity and transparency.
“The recent police operation in Portugal has highlighted significant breaches of trust and regulatory compliance within our sector.
“I commend the efforts of the Judicial Police in uncovering the alleged illicit activities that have unfortunately marred the reputation of medicinal cannabis.
“The revelations that certain pharmaceutical companies authorised to produce and sell medicinal cannabis presumably have been involved in an international drug trafficking scheme are deeply troubling.
“The falsification of drug production licenses and the exploitation of regulatory vulnerabilities to divert medicinal cannabis to the black market undermine the legitimate efforts of countless professionals dedicated to ensuring the safe and ethical use of medicinal cannabis.
“This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of rigorous oversight and strict adherence to legal frameworks. It is imperative that we, as industry leaders, work collaboratively with regulatory bodies like Infarmed and other national authorities to strengthen the inspection and control systems.
“By doing so, we can prevent violations and protect the integrity of our industry.”
Business of Cannabis has reached out to Infarmed – the National Authority of Medicines and Health Products – for a reaction to events, but it says it has ‘no comment on this specific situation at this time’.
We will be keeping a close eye on these Portuguese events over the coming days and will be updating our news feeds as the picture becomes clearer.
The Judicial police say around 300 inspectors, 48 experts and 24 PJ security guards, six Public Ministry magistrates and three judges participated in Operation Erva Daninha, They say their investigations continue.
The European cannabis industry is preparing to descend on Berlin and London for European Cannabis Week where the latest insights from the world’s leading voices will take centre stage across four separate events taking place from June 19-25.
For further real-time updates on market dynamics, market sizing and evolving regulations, pre-orders for the soon-to-be-launched digital report from Prohibition Partners are now available here.
The post Portuguese Police Bust Criminal Gang Operating As Medical Cannabis Cultivators appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
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Earlier this week Portuguese police served 64 search and seizure warrants as part of operation ‘Erva Daninha’ (Weed), which had been launched in 2022 in close collaboration with Spanish police; the Policía Nacional.
The Portuguese Judicial Police – Polícia Judiciária – says that since the operation began on Tuesday, they have seized 7.3 tons of cannabis and €411,000. Five people have been arrested, with 12 vehicles and 11 weapons seized.
Images of the police raids have been published on the Polícia Judiciária Facebook page and can be viewed here. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2229281747531207
A Judicial Police statement to Business of Cannabis says: “The investigations revealed that the criminal organization, aware of the flaws in the inspection and control system for exports of medicinal cannabis in Portugal, acquired pharmaceutical companies, then created commercial companies licensed for the wholesale trade, import and export of medicinal cannabis, ending up, in reality, sending several thousand kilos of cannabis to illicit markets using false documentation and certificates.”
The police say that as well as the 64 warrants domestically, and on the island of Madeira, another six were enacted in Spain, one in Bulgaria and another in Cyprus.
After Canada, Portugal is the second largest cannabis cultivator on the planet with some 41 companies licensed for cannabis cultivation, 24 for manufacturing, 51 for import, 51 for export and 15 for trade and distribution.
One of these cultivators is US-based Curaleaf International and, in a statement released to Business of Cannabis, its Head Juan Martinez welcomed the moves.
He said: “These actions help protect responsible operators and preserve the credibility of the sector.
“At Curaleaf International, we are committed to transparency, quality, and full regulatory alignment across all our markets.
“We welcome measures that uphold the integrity of the legal cannabis industry and remain focused on supporting patients, advancing scientific research, and building a responsible, sustainable global cannabis sector.”
He went on to confirm that it is not under investigation and its premises have not been searched.
He added: “Our facilities are fully licensed, regularly audited, and operate in strict adherence to both Portuguese and European regulatory requirements.
“While some in the cannabis industry may view regulation as a burden, we believe robust oversight and active enforcement are essential to ensuring patient safety, product quality, and public trust.”
In a Linkedin post commenting on the raids Denise Faltischek, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of International at Tilray, which has a 15,000sq ms medical cannabis production facility in the central Cantanhede region of the country, welcomed the police moves.
She said: “As we navigate the evolving landscape of the medicinal cannabis industry, it is crucial to uphold the highest standards of integrity and transparency.
“The recent police operation in Portugal has highlighted significant breaches of trust and regulatory compliance within our sector.
“I commend the efforts of the Judicial Police in uncovering the alleged illicit activities that have unfortunately marred the reputation of medicinal cannabis.
“The revelations that certain pharmaceutical companies authorised to produce and sell medicinal cannabis presumably have been involved in an international drug trafficking scheme are deeply troubling.
“The falsification of drug production licenses and the exploitation of regulatory vulnerabilities to divert medicinal cannabis to the black market undermine the legitimate efforts of countless professionals dedicated to ensuring the safe and ethical use of medicinal cannabis.
“This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of rigorous oversight and strict adherence to legal frameworks. It is imperative that we, as industry leaders, work collaboratively with regulatory bodies like Infarmed and other national authorities to strengthen the inspection and control systems.
“By doing so, we can prevent violations and protect the integrity of our industry.”
Business of Cannabis has reached out to Infarmed – the National Authority of Medicines and Health Products – for a reaction to events, but it says it has ‘no comment on this specific situation at this time’.
We will be keeping a close eye on these Portuguese events over the coming days and will be updating our news feeds as the picture becomes clearer.
The Judicial police say around 300 inspectors, 48 experts and 24 PJ security guards, six Public Ministry magistrates and three judges participated in Operation Erva Daninha, They say their investigations continue.
The European cannabis industry is preparing to descend on Berlin and London for European Cannabis Week where the latest insights from the world’s leading voices will take centre stage across four separate events taking place from June 19-25.
For further real-time updates on market dynamics, market sizing and evolving regulations, pre-orders for the soon-to-be-launched digital report from Prohibition Partners are now available here.
The post Portuguese Police Bust Criminal Gang Operating As Medical Cannabis Cultivators appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
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