The global cannabis conversation reached a new frenzy last weekend with the 10,000-person Spannabis festival in Barcelona, Spain.
Top-ranked packs like Dying Breed Seeds OZ Kush, Peach Ringz, and Z 3.0 fetched 500 euros for 12 seeds. We’re busy adding dozens of new cultivars to the database. Watch along for more Day 1 and Day 2 highlights straight from the event and recorded live above Las Ramblas.
More industry tips for decisionmakers
Cultivar news for store buyers
Z strains dominated flower and hash competitions. Wizard Trees’ booth was so packed you couldn’t get near it. RS-11 is hot. Zoap is hot. Leafly’s Strains and Products reporting is right on the money.
The hash type of the moment is called piatella— a delicate, gooey solventless hash that is maximally terpy.
Legal market progress
California’s legal providers now serve 47% of that market, according to leading cannabis economist Beau Whitney. New York is at an appalling 4% penetration, which matches Spain under prohibition. Vangst releases the 2024 Jobs Report by Whitney and Bruce Barcott in two weeks.
Global market outlook for business development
Thailand is tightening back up after rapid commercialization engendered a backlash.
Germany is red-hot with decriminalization and medical advancements.
Judging from vape supply sales at Abstrax—markets that are warming up include Japan, South Africa, Australia, Mexico, Ecuador, and Argentina.
Prohibition markets are contributing as well. Britain and Italy are making names for themselves in hash and seeds ahead of legalization. It’s not binary. You have to be part of the underground now if you want to compete above ground later.
Cannabis is a field of infinite possibilities.
DJ Muggs, Cypress Hill, at the International Cannabis Business Conference
Global marketing
The cannabis genetics conversation is global and social. Hash trends circle the world in 30 days, due to social media, and the ease of shipping seeds or clones or counterfeiting a brand.
What’s your global marketing strategy? It has become table stakes for major flower and seeds brands to conduct international marketing campaigns. You’re either trying to keep pace with brands like Doja Pak, Terphogz, Alien Labs, and Mills Nutrients, or you are eating their dust.
Living soil in cultivation
Living soil is a wave. Jeff Lowenfels presented the latest research showing 40% of plant nitrogen coming not from the soil or bottles, but from cannabis plants cultivating and consuming bacteria. It’s called rhizophagy. A future of strain-specific beneficial bacterial inoculants is coming.
Spannabis ran three days March 15 to 17 in Barcelona, Spain. (David Downs/Leafly)
Seed technology
Seeds are getting easier. Regular male and female seeds are being replaced by feminized, autoflower, triploid, and stabilized lines. If you are in cultivation or extraction and don’t have a plan to take advantage of that technology—you will be outcompeted.
Meet the GastroBros
We learned the term “GastroBro”—a stoner who is also a big foodie. True marketing wins will fuse cannabis and culture like food, art, and music.
420 is going to be big in New York. The Astor Club is working with Archive Seeds on an awards show—The Billies—headlined by rapper Larry June. ‘How much did Larry June cost?’ we asked. “A lot. A lot.”
“Cannabis is a field of infinite possibilities. It’s a struggle—a battle. It is what it is. Don’t be a little b*tch. The strong will survive. It’s not just get rich quick— those people will not survive.”
In a revelation that has historians and pranksters alike reeling, recent discoveries from ancient Roman scrolls and medieval manuscripts suggest that April Fools’ Day, the long-celebrated tradition of jest and jocularity, was originally intended to be observed on the last day of April, not the first. This historical oversight, buried for centuries among misinterpreted texts and lost translations, sheds new light on the origins of a day marked by trickery and laughter.
When April Fools’ Day Was Meant to Be Celebrated?
The findings, published in the prestigious “Journal of Historical Anomalies,” detail how early celebrations of spring, renewal, and lightheartedness culminated in a day of mirth and mischief. According to Dr. Aloysius Chronologer, the lead researcher on the project, “The tradition of ending the month of April with a day of frolic and jest is deeply rooted in pre-modern European festivals. However, due to a series of transcription errors, calendar reforms, and linguistic misinterpretations, the observance of this day shifted to the beginning of April.”
The mix-up appears to have occurred during the transition from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, compounded by the varying adoption dates of the new calendar across Europe. This period of time was marked by confusion and the misalignment of dates, which, as Dr. Chronologer suggests, could easily have led to the displacement of traditional festivities by several weeks.
The article goes on to describe how the jests and pranks now associated with April 1st were originally part of “Vernalis Festum,” a celebration of spring’s end. Activities included elaborate hoaxes, the exchange of fanciful gifts, and public festivities where townspeople would don disguises and mock various societal roles, much like the modern practice of April Fools’ Day.
Despite this groundbreaking research, the suggestion to realign April Fools’ Day with its “original” date has been met with mixed reactions. Some traditionalists argue for the preservation of the status quo, citing centuries of cultural practice and the impracticality of changing a widely recognized holiday. Meanwhile, others see an opportunity to extend the period of springtime revelry and advocate for a return to historical accuracy.
“It’s fascinating to think how a simple calendrical error could shape centuries of tradition,” said Dr. Chronologer. “While it’s unlikely that we’ll see a global shift in the observance of April Fools’ Day, this discovery invites us to reflect on the origins and meanings of our cultural practices.”
In light of these findings, some communities have expressed interest in adopting the last day of April as a secondary day of jest, proposing a “bookend” approach to a month already famed for its capricious weather and spirit of renewal.
Whether or not the world will embrace a second day of trickery remains to be seen, but this intriguing slice of history adds depth and complexity to one of the most lighthearted days on the calendar. As April wanes, perhaps more than a few extra pranks and jests will find their way into the springtime air, honoring a long-lost tradition that was nearly forgotten.
Summary: A recent report reveals that Britain has the highest rate of cocaine use in Europe, with 2.7% of adults aged 15 to 64 using the drug annually. This equates to approximately 1.02 million people, or one in every 37 individuals. The report places the UK second globally in cocaine use among developed countries, only behind Australia.
Cocaine Use in the UK: A Growing Public Health Concern
According to a report by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), Britain has emerged as the largest consumer of cocaine in Europe. The statistics indicate that 2.7% of the population aged between 15 and 64 in England and Wales use cocaine each year, translating to about 1.02 million people or one in every 37 individuals. The usage rate is notably higher among men than women, with one in 26 men admitting to using cocaine compared to one in 63 women.
The UK’s cocaine usage ranks the highest in Europe and second out of 41 developed countries, surpassed only by Australia, which has a usage rate of 4.2%. Interestingly, the UK’s usage rate is higher than that in countries traditionally associated with cocaine production and trafficking, such as Mexico and Colombia.
Professor Ian Hamilton from the University of York attributes this high usage to the drug’s affordability and availability. He notes that in the UK, a small amount sufficient for a night out can be purchased for the price of a cocktail or a couple of pints. The drug’s increased availability and potency have also contributed to its widespread use.
Dr. Niall Campbell, a psychiatrist at the Priory rehab hospital, describes the current situation as an epidemic, noting that cocaine use is no longer confined to the wealthy classes but has become widespread across different social groups. He compares the ease of obtaining cocaine to ordering a pizza.
The widespread use of cocaine has significant health implications. Cocaine can damage the heart, cause irregular heartbeats, and even lead to cardiac arrest. It is also addictive and can adversely affect mental health, potentially causing depression, aggression, and paranoia. The drug’s supply is controlled by criminal gangs, leading to violence and exploitation in ‘county lines’ networks.
Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show a sharp increase in cocaine-related deaths in England and Wales, with 872 deaths recorded in 2021, more than double the number in 2015. In response to the growing crisis, Switzerland is considering legalizing cocaine, acknowledging that the war on drugs has failed.
The UK Home Office has launched a 10-year drug strategy backed by a record £3 billion investment to tackle the supply of illicit drugs and build a world-class treatment system for drug abuse. This strategy aims to support individuals suffering from addiction and those exploited by criminal gangs.
We hope you enjoyed this news update. Check back with us daily to see what’s going on in the world of cannabis and psychedelics. And make sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, the Cannadelics Sunday Edition with a the best stories of the week:
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AI Disclaimer: This news update was created using a AI tools. PsychePen is an AI author who is constantly improving. We appreciate your kindness and understanding as PsychePen continues to learn and develop.Please note that the provided information is derived from various sources and should not be considered as legal, financial, or medical advice.
Listen up, Leafly Nation—you 147 million people around the globe smoking on the good-good.
Get ready for more fresh Zkittlez crosses, more killer ‘Cali weed,’ more US-made seeds, and more live rosin in the coming weeks and months hitting your local smoke scene.
Leafly just got back with the details from Europe’s top cannabis festival, Spannabis, which just wrapped up in Barcelona, Spain.
The three-day expo demolished records for the 19-year-old event, with more than 25,000 attendees and 500 exhibitors from over 50 countries. The massive smokeout anchored two weeks of pot contests like the Ego Clash Barcelona and parties like Fidel’s Hash Holes and Donuts. Global stoners packed more than 100 private Barcelona cannabis clubs in what amounted to the US cannabis industry’s mix of South by Southwest and Spring Break.
Here are seven trends coming to your cannabis from Spannabis.
More Zkittlez strains in more corners of the globe
Z from Basque Country: Bask Family Farms’ winning Zkittlez cross—Zortzi. Zkittlez dominated Spannabis and left critics of the strain fuming. (David Downs/Leafly)
Let’s start at the beginning—with the weed. The 8-year-old hybrid Zkittlez had a banner year at the Spannabis Champions Cup, placing first and second in the expo’s official contest. Furthermore, the Zkittlez project Zortzi from Bask Triangle Farms placed first in the 2023 Barcelona Ego Clash contest for flower. Zortzi is made of Z x Ortzadar (the Basque word for rainbow). Ortzadar itself is a Bask Triangle Farms cross of Z x Cookies and Cream.
Beyond the undeniable trophies, the lines spoke for themselves. The 3rd Gen Family Farm booth pretty much sold out of its Z-focused seed packs at €350 (euros) per seed pack, or two packs for €500. 3rd Gen’s Z work powered seven wins in the Spannabis Champions Cup, said 3rd Gen Fam owner Brandon. Another leading Z seed seller, Terphogz, also served throngs of customers at Spannabis.
What makes Z so dominant? It’s the terpenes, dummy. Z emits a kaleidoscopically-juicy rainbow of tropical fruit flavor. Z’s heavy yet happy high has made fans the world over.
‘Cali weed’ is calling the shots
‘Cali Packs’ fetch $100 per eighth ounce at Barcelona clubs like Dank of England. (David Downs/Leafly)
Walk into the private Barcelona Strain Hunters Club, and look at the menu: California flavors rule. California strains Baby Yoda and Red Velvet sit right at the top of the menu at €30 per gram.
Many clubs, including Dank of England, have an entire top shelf named “Cali Weed.” It featured three Los Angeles heavyweights: Seed Junky Genetics’ Permanent Marker strain, as well as Super Dope brand eighths, Backpack Boyz’s Lemon Cherry Gelato, and Cookies’ Cereal A La Mode. Eighth ounces ran the equivalent of $100.
Many California industry players bought one-way tickets to Barcelona. They planned to keep traveling to prospective business deals in Israel, Portugal, Switzerland, and beyond.
Lior Pisso, co-owner of a greenhouse mega-grow in Israel, said the company had switched from Canadian seeds to Compound Genetics in San Francisco.
“California genetics are amazing,” she said.
Israeli medical cannabis patients need maximum-potency Cali flower, due to a 50-gram-per-month cap, she said. “We need every puff to be a killer.”
The US seed scene has eclipsed Europe’s
Barcelona based Hidden Group Genetics’ Boom Voyage is a cross of two US strains—Jokerz x Gary Payton. (David Downs/Leafly)
Since the ’70s, European hemp laws gave cover to a robust weed seed industry that decided what US growers planted. The US is the captain, now.
Michigan cultivation director, Erin Najebi, at Tang Farms said, “The European seed free-for-all is now the US seed free for all.”
What changed? Congress legalized hemp in 2018. In 2022, the US Drug Enforcement Administration ruled seeds were hemp, not marijuana, and so legal to possess, sell, and distribute.
DNA Genetics CEO Rezwan Khan said, “for ten years, Spannabis was seeds, seeds, seeds. The seed revolution is in the US now and it’s totally wild.”
“All that American shit hits hard.”
‘Gil’ a local Barcelona grower
DNA Genetics co-founder, Don Morris, added that “we’re creating the rocket and then riding it.”
One UK grower, Adrian (not his real name) said full legalization allows US breeders to innovate further and faster “than anything Europe can do under prohibition.”
One Barcelona greenhouse grower, “Gil” said he ran Artificial Red (GMO x Red Pop) and Swamp Boys Seeds’s hashy Lemon Tree strain Romie this year. Why?
“All that American shit hits hard,” he said.
Rosin and live rosin is sweeping the globe
DNA Genetics Challah Bread live rosin. (David Downs/Leafly)
A solventless revolution sweeps around the globe, ya’ll. We’re talking about bubble hash, heat-pressed and filtered into pure, potent, and tasty dabs. Bobby West, founder of the contest Uncle Stoner’s Squash Off, told Leafly, “the world is going solventless. I think it’s the future—from edibles to everything. The cleaner it is, the better it is.”
Mauricio Santa Cruz from the Colombia Exotics hash brand in Colombia said, “Oh yeah, it’s sweeping the globe.”
Colombia gained live rosin technology around two years ago, he said. This year, growers across Latin America are buying seeds for plants that produce great hash, as well as rosin presses to make the product.
DNA Genetics’ Khan said Europe has a longtime specialty in trichome extraction with bubble hash. Europe’s now skipping over the butane hash oil wave and going straight to rosin. Rosin and live rosin accurately reproduce flower’s taste and high, experts said.
More wild legal dichotomies
Medical cannabis law reform, as well as decriminalization, have given weed ‘semi-legalization’ status in more places than ever. That makes for some wild legal dichotomies.
In Barcelona, private clubs sell 2023 Cali weed, but walk out onto the streets and police can stop and search you for the smell alone like it’s the ‘90s. They may seize your stash, or worse: a night in jail and fines of several hundred euros.
Barcelona grows better weed and nurtures a more robust scene than Amsterdam, but pot remains illegal in Spain. We heard of several tourists stopped, and some held overnight.
Amsterdam-based Raavi Spaarenberg—head of Sensi Seeds—said, “Laws go back and forward. Barcelona is going left and right. People are still going to jail.”
Lance Lambert, chief marketing officer for Grove Bags, compared Barcelona to the medical state of Oklahoma, mixed with California’s Proposition 215 days. “It’s insane.”
From India to Australia, pockets of cannabis culture thrive in countries without weed freedom. These are places where society tolerates private smoking, while growers and sellers face fines and prison.
A new level of collaboration begins
Humboldt Seed Co and Sensi Seeds team up to announce Breeding Grounds. (David Downs/Leafly)
More dope collaborations are coming to your weed than ever.
At the top of the list, two titans of European and American seeds unite in ‘Breeding Grounds’—the new deal between Humboldt Seed Co and Amsterdam’s 35-year-old Sensi Seeds brand.
The pair have four new strains—two new automatic cultivars and two new feminized strains—that unite the best of the Old World and the New. “We are growing together and playing off each other’s styles,” said Sensi’s Spaarenberg, whose dad is Sensi Seed’s famous Ben Dronkers.
Celebrity cultivation author Ed Rosenthal helped put the deal together, saying “it’s a match of legacies. They have an unbeatable combination.”
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Europe has a lot of Hazes and Cheeses to work with, said Spaarenberg. Humboldt Seed Co plans to hunt through 2,000 authentic Skunk phenotypes from decades past, and bring back the true Skunk.
Spaarenberg said weed brands once did everything by themselves. But the explosion in international cannabis requires collaboration.
Other winning collabs included: Spanish brand Black Tuna x Colombia Exotics and their strain Milk Runtz—which won the Dabadoo contest. 3rd Gen Fam also showed off two Emerald Triangle collabs—the Zunkist line and the Ill Eagle line of OZ Kush male crosses for just €50. Terphogz Fields x DNA Genetics’ collab on Z x Strawberry Banana—Ztrawberriez.
And a hyper-charged international cannabis culture
Attendees from over 50 countries swamped Europe’s biggest annual weed expo. (Courtesy Spannabis)
Cheap flights, Instagram, and global weed law reform have combined to make cannabis culture more international than it’s ever been.
By 2026, 7.5 billion people will have smartphones. The cannabis community has never been more connected.
“You can find it in real-time, all over the world. Any US trend, within 30 days, is global now,” said Khan at DNA Genetics.
Remote spots like The Canary Islands now host pot contests. Germany has gone medical, with Switzerland is next. The Czech Republic is opening up, and Thailand is smokin’ with over 1,000 dispensaries open in Bangkok.
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The Israeli mega-greenhouse owner Lior Pisso said “it’s insane to see the globalization going on. Just look around at Spannabis and all the colorful, amazing, beautiful people here.”
Raavi at Sensi said, “It’s going off. The industry is changing everywhere. It’s a global thing now.”
And that’s seven trends, so we’ll save what’s going on with cultivation and the living soil wave, or accessories like the Puffco Proxy for another day.
Go get your passport renewed, book a flight, and get out there, Leafly Nation. A whole weed world awaits.
