Andorra Farmers Welcome Single Indoor Medicinal Cannabis Facility Plans

Andorra's farmers' association has welcomed government plans for a single indoor facility to produce medicinal cannabis, describing the changes as a collaborative effort despite challenges in other agricultural sectors.

The Associació de Pagesos i Ramaders d’Andorra (APRA) praised modifications to the agriculture and livestock law unveiled by Environment, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Guillem Casal on Tuesday. These include a new legal framework allowing farmers to form collective entities, requiring at least 65% of active, REA-registered holdings to participate initially. APRA president Xavier Coma said the measures were "consensuated and worked on jointly with the ministry," highlighting strong communication and consideration for the primary sector.

Coma noted that APRA helped initiate the forthcoming cannabis law, with its basic outline and timeline intact. Production would remain limited to one controlled indoor site for therapeutic or cosmetic purposes, with THC levels below 2% and no recreational use permitted. Operators bidding for the single licence through the new collective vehicle—open to active farms and even young entrepreneurs—would receive weighted evaluation points based on their involvement and activity level. Those without active agricultural holdings would be excluded.

The framework, limited to one entity per sector, could support cannabis as well as other crops like arnica or lavender. While interest in cannabis remains uncertain, Coma positioned it as progress amid what farmers see as sacrifices elsewhere, such as impacts from tobacco regulations.

Casal has described the draft bill as advanced, set for presentation to the General Council before the legislative term ends, triggering a tender process focused on medical cannabis with strict auditing. He called it a milestone for the sector, fostering territorial links without overly rigid initial constraints.