ABSTRACT
A cannabis social club is a legally constituted non-profit association of cannabis consumers. Cannabis social clubs collectively cultivate cannabis plants for adult members to meet personal consumption needs so that they do not have to turn to the black market. 'Cannabis social clubs' can be found in many countries and the model is now a frequent subject in the international debate about drug policy reform, but the label often covers very different empirical realities. Recently, a more commercial type of club has appeared, especially in Barcelona, which functions similarly to a Dutch coffee shop, with a closed-membership policy. Directly inspired by the Spanish cannabis social club movement, Belgian activists have sought to explore a legal grey zone in Belgian drug laws arguing that if one is allowed to cultivate one female plant for personal use, then one should be able to do this collectively, given a lack of aggravating circumstances or public nuisance.
