Encod hereby presents a Code of Conduct for European Cannabis Social Clubs. This code of conduct was developed by Encod members from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and the UK. Some are already operating CSC legally in their country, others are in the process of being incorporated once local laws allow the cultivation of cannabis for personal use. To find out more please contact encod.org 

EUROPEAN CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS

CODE OF CONDUCT

December 2011.

Due to the lack of a legal framework regarding the cultivation of cannabis for personal use, we, cannabis users from across Europe, have developed our own model of regulation and control.

This model, called Cannabis Social Clubs, aims to prevent cannabis users from engaging in illegal activities through their consumption and ensures that certain public health and safety requirements are met. Cannabis Social Clubs (CSC) are incorporated non-profit organizations run by adult cannabis users. CSCs could operate in any country that has decriminalized the possession of cannabis for personal use.

For example, in countries where this is not yet the case, CSCs could be considered as a pilot project to be prepared for when the laws governing the cultivation of cannabis for personal use change. According to Article 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights the citizens of Europe have the right to organize to protect their interests. If their activities do not threaten the health of society as a whole or public order.

Cannabis Social Clubs organize the collective cultivation of a quantity of cannabis intended solely for the private consumption of their members. The production capacity of a CSC is based on the expected level of annual consumption by its members, with an appropriate buffer in order to be able to effectively counteract the risk of a bad harvest, theft, or an additional need, for example for medical reasons. A CSC's internal rules include a log of how any excess was handled.

Before becoming a member of a Cannabis Social Club, the applicant must declare that he/she is a cannabis user or provide a diagnosis to ensure that the person has a medical condition induced by the use of cannabis. Diagnoses that can be treated with cannabis can be found in the regularly published lists of International Association of Cannabis as Medicine (IACM).

New members of Cannabis Social Clubs provide a statement of their rights and responsibilities and the estimated amount of use. Private conversations enable clubs to identify and counteract their members' problematic consumption patterns. Cannabis Social Clubs actively prevent possible harm, minimize risks and promote safe forms of consumption among their members.

Cannabis Social Clubs maintain comprehensive and transparent accounts of how members meet their own needs through collective cultivation, membership numbers ensure that the required amount is available and a record can be kept of how much each member uses and caps can be met. This is to prevent disclosure to third parties.

Cannabis Social Clubs maintain comprehensive and transparent records of where the crop is in the life cycle, what cultivation methods are being used and of course what harvest levels are suitable for sharing. Inspections are conducted at random by the association's representatives to verify safety measures and estimated volume of harvest.

The methods of cultivation, post-harvest treatment, etc. follow the standards of organic farming, with a sustainable use of natural resources.

Once the harvest has been controlled and the final harvest quantity is quantified, the harvest will be transported from the place of production to the premises of controlled distribution by a representative of the association, with written authorization.

Cannabis Social Clubs are characterized by transparency, democracy and non-profitability. They function as an association that openly lets the members decide on the financial arrangements. This should ensure at all times that members can understand what costs are incurred and what money is invested in.

At least once a year, CSCs organize a general meeting where the annual reports are discussed and approved. These reports provide a complete balance of income and expenses for the past financial year.

Cannabis Social Clubs may choose to pay employees reasonable compensation for their service. This enables jobs to be created and the public sector saves money that would otherwise be used for criminal prosecution.

Unlike dealers who run the illegal black market, Cannabis Social Clubs are willing to enter into a dialogue with the authorities to give a full insight into how they work. State authorities should be able to check compliance with legal regulations at any time. CSC creates an alternative to the black market that also prevents underage access to cannabis. CSC have an interest in ensuring the organization and its activities through legal regulations.