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I spend about 1/3rd of the year each year in Spain and an "interesting" development related to drug trades is happening here: basically lots of people realized
by TacticalCoder 5y ago
I spend about 1/3rd of the year each year in Spain and an "interesting" development related to drug trades is happening here: basically lots of people realized cannabis plants were flowering as well, if not better, in Spain than in Morocco.
The EU / Spanish polices also got apparently much better at intercepting cannabis dealers trying to pass from Morocco to Spain (hence maybe these new drones attempts).
So now there are both individuals and gangs (including gagns from Morocco and from eastern europe) growing a huge lot of weed in Spain. As in: it's becoming very big business.
Individuals have the right, legally, to grow up to two cannabis plants (I think two plants for one adult in the household is the rule and you can legally by flowering and auto-flowering cannabis seeds in shops). But quite some individuals are, illegally, growing much more than two plants as a way to meet months' ends.
Technically this delivery drone is impressive but dealers from Morocco have much bigger problems than trying to stuff ganja into drones without getting intercepted: growing cannabis plant and making hashish and ganja directly in Spain, at cheaper prices.
- bayesian_horse 5y agoThe article says they are smuggling cocain. I doubt cannabis would be profitable enough. It's not just about the cost of the drone, it must be a serious undertaking for a gang to get a hand on one of those without anyone noticing. The thing is basically an ultra-light aircraft, and probably extremely illegal to operate anywhere in Europe or any sane jurisdiction...
- zenexer 5y agoInitially it says that the intended purpose was cocaine, but then it goes on to say that online marijuana and hashish were found.
- bayesian_horse 5y agoIt also doesn't say whether or not they actually had the drone in the air at all. Maybe those guys just hatched a crazy-ass idea, financed it with their previous marijuana "business" but haven't so far gotten around to actually buying cocaine in Morocco, much less smuggling it with a drone...
- dylan604 5y agoMaybe it's a false flag op. The smugglers left a little something for the local agencies to find so they can do a nice bit of PR so the public feels good about it. Meanwhile, the smugglers continue using their normal trade routes. This will also help spur more anti-drone legislation ruining for the rest of us that never intended to use drones in this manner.
- shoto_io 5y agoThose drug dealers are pain in the ass. First they sell drugs to our children, and then go on to ruin our drone legislation. What the hell comes next?!
- hsousa 5y agoBruce Simpson is an activist that consistently exposes New Zealand's government propaganda. https://youtu.be/UNUtYucJchk https://youtu.be/UNUtYucJchk
- bayesian_horse 5y agoI think stupid-ass criminals is the more likely explanation...
- bayesian_horse 5y agoI don't think there is any drone jurisdiction in the world where there would be a problem with such drones. It's large enough that it will require extensive certification and permits both for the airframe and the pilot.
- the-dude 5y agoThe Moroccan hash is not intended for Spain, but for the whole of the EU ( NL in particular ).
- sharken 5y agoThe EU and perhaps NL in particular should really take another look at legalizing at least hash. It would help to also legalize cocaine, but even Colombia that would benefit most from it, is still not ready to do something to break the status quo. https://transformdrugs.org/blog/historic-win-for-coca-cocaine-regulation-bill-in-colombian-senate https://transformdrugs.org/blog/historic-win-for-coca-cocain...
- yawaworht1978 5y agoMany Colombian people would agree to do this, many will look at you in bewilderment. The main issue is that too many people in government institutions are profiting from the status quo. Colombia itself has a rather massive drug use problem, or, the people of the younger generation are pretty open minded about consumption.
- sharken 5y agoYes the corruption makes it difficult to do much, but the War on Drugs has been going on for more than 50 years. It's quite obvious that another 50 years will not do any difference, but the proposed bill just might. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_drugs https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_drugs
- GekkePrutser 5y agoLike most wars it makes the powers that be very rich I guess
- hsousa 5y agoThat's exactly why they want to keep the status-quo.
- dylan604 5y agoSounds like they need to form a co-op. Each member signs their 2 plants to the co-op to manage/grow/etc. Pay the members something for their "license use". I'm guessing there are plenty of people that would never attempt to grow those 2 plants on their own, so don't let it get wasted. Also, limit the co-op to be run by citizens of that country/city to keep it from becoming international rings (bwahahahaha, as if that would work)
- derrasterpunkt 5y agoI think you just described the „Cannabis Social Clubs“ in Spain.
- R0b0t1 5y agoPersonal use likely precludes the ability to transfer rights like this.
- narag 5y agoIndividuals have the right, legally, to grow up to two cannabis plants... I believe that's a misconception. There were a few loopholes, fixed by a recent law (three or four year ago IIRC) that nuked cannabis clubs. I'd say it's mostly safe to grow one of those auto-flowering seeds in your balcony, providing you use some translucid plastic, but telling the police "I have the right to grow two plants" seems like a weak defense.
- Stevvo 5y agoCannabis clubs have not been "nuked"; I'm writing this comment from one of more than a thousand across the country. Also growing plants on your balcony is forbidden; they can't be visible from outside.
- dordoka 5y agoSpanish here, can confirm.
- botverse 5y agoIt’s a de facto rule, it’s up to a judge to decide whether a person had intention of trafficking when found in possession of narcotics, trafficking is the only criminal offence. It’s common believe that 2 plants are OK for personal use.