Mação has a medical cannabis project for areas devastated by the 2017 fires

“The serious damage to the environment and to the national economy resulting from the high number of fires that have broken out in land with forest stands and the fact that, in many cases, such occurrences are linked to the subsequent occupation of these areas for urban and urban purposes. 327/90, of 22 October, in its current wording, established, for a period of 10 years from the date of the fire, the prohibition of being a series of actions was carried out, namely, construction works of any buildings, establishment of any new agricultural activities, and, in the case of land not covered by municipal land use plans, prohibition of carrying out subdivision operations, urbanization works and works reconstruction or expansion of existing buildings.

The aforementioned diploma provides, however, that these prohibitions may be lifted, in justified situations, at the request of the interested parties, at any time, as long as they are actions of public interest or undertakings with relevant general interest, recognized as such.

In this sense, the Municipality of Mação requested, as administrative authority, under the terms and for the purposes of the provisions of paragraphs 5 and 6 of article 1 of the aforementioned Decree-Law n.º 327/90, of 22 of October, in its current wording, that the investment project for the installation of a unit for the cultivation and extraction of cannabis for medicinal purposes be recognized as an undertaking of relevant general interest, so that the agricultural project can be carried out in an area covered by the forest fire occurred on August 11, 2017.

Cannareporter contacted the Municipality of Mação for more information, but received no response. Thus, we transcribe only the order published by the government:

“Considering that the installation of any new company in the municipality of Mação, due to the contribution it can have in fixing the population in a decreasing population, is always of great importance, given the possibility of stopping this trend;

Whereas the installation of the aforementioned unit could result in the creation of approximately 20 jobs;

Considering that this is an activity with a high degree of specialization, in a market niche with great potential for evolution, regulated and monitored by the National Authority for Medicines and Health Products, IP, which has already issued a pre-licence for the claim, reinforcing the its uniqueness and high interest for the county, and also for the region;

Considering that the value of the investment, in the order of five million euros, of foreign origin, gives it an obvious public interest, for what it represents in economic terms for the country;

Considering that the project contributes to increasing the territory's resilience to rural fires, by providing for the discontinuity of the forest area, dampening and slowing down the evolution of possible forest fires;

Considering that the present order does not exempt interested parties from complying with other legal and regulatory regimes applicable depending on the nature of the project, nor from compliance with territorial management instruments, as well as easements and public utility restrictions in force;

Considering, finally, that the fire that occurred on August 11, 2017 was due to causes to which the interested parties are unrelated, with no imputation of responsibility being known to them, according to a statement issued on August 7, 2020 by the Commander of the Territorial Post of Mação, of the Republican National Guard.

The Secretary of State for Nature Conservation, Forestry and Territorial Planning and the Secretary of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, under the provisions of subparagraph ix) of subparagraph d) of no. 3-A/12149, of 2019 December, of the Minister for the Environment and Climate Action, and in subparagraph i) of paragraph 17 of Order no. and for the purposes of lifting the prohibitions established in paragraph 3 of article 203 of Decree-Law no.

Recognize as an enterprise of relevant general interest the investment project referring to the installation of a unit for the cultivation and extraction of cannabis for medicinal purposes, to be implemented in rustic buildings nos. of the Union of Parishes of Mação, Penhascos and Aboboreira, municipality of Mação, in an area covered by the aforementioned fires, duly demarcated in the plan attached to this order, which is an integral part of it.

1 February 2021. – The Secretary of State for Nature Conservation, Forests and Spatial Planning, João Paulo Marçal Lopes Catarino. – The Secretary of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Rui Manuel Costa Martinho”.

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