News
Barcelona steps up pressure on cannabis clubs with new plan
Barcelona is toughening its strategy against cannabis clubs. The Ayuntamiento has announced increased inspections and more police and administrative action to reduce the presence of these associations, as part of a new comprehensive plan against drug trafficking and consumption aimed at improving coexistence and safety in the neighbourhoods.
The new roadmap, called the Druida plan, combines five areas of action: controlling drug sales points, administrative measures, traffic and road safety monitoring, healthcare, and prevention campaigns. The aim is to address the issue from a broader perspective, acting not only against the sale of substances but also on their social and public health consequences.
One of the main focuses will continue to be the activity of cannabis clubs. The Ayuntamiento maintains that many of them have open cases and announces that it will intensify both administrative and criminal proceedings to try to close down establishments that breach regulations. However, it acknowledges that court rulings and the current legal framework make it difficult to permanently close many associations.
According to municipal data, around 200 cannabis clubs are still operating in Barcelona, a figure that has barely changed in recent years despite control campaigns. Authorities believe that some of these venues have ceased to be simple private consumption spaces and have become contact points used by networks involved in drug trafficking.
The plan also pays special attention to other problems linked to drug use. So far this year, the Guardia Urbana has dismantled dozens of sales points and intervened in squatted homes used for activities related to drug trafficking. In addition, the council will strengthen checks on driving under the influence of drugs and improve monitoring systems to detect new risk situations more quickly.
This new offensive reflects the Ayuntamiento's intention to step up the fight against drug trafficking from different angles and with closer coordination between police, health, and social services. The challenge is to reduce the impact of these activities in neighbourhoods without losing sight of the legal complexity surrounding cannabis clubs, which so far has made their disappearance from the city difficult.