Madeira: Hemp stores inspected by ARAE

The five stores with hemp products on the island of Madeira, in Portugal, were inspected by the Regional Authority for Economic Activities (ARAE). The action resulted in the identification of infringements by two stores, in an action that received some criticism from traders. 

The Regional Authority for Economic Activities (ARAE) announced in release which, in cooperation with the Public Security Police, this week carried out an inspection operation aimed at establishments selling products derived from cannabis (hemp). The joint operation of these entities took place in order to verify the conformity of the products marketed (origin, labeling and safety for consumers) and took place in the five existing stores in Madeira, 4 in Funchal and one in Ponta do Sol.

According to the statement from the authority, “5 commercial establishments dedicated to the sale of these products in the Autonomous Region of Madeira were inspected, which resulted in the initiation of 2 administrative offense proceedings”. The infractions that motivated the procedures were the lack of price posting and lack of prior communication. The Madeiran authority also communicated the preventive seizure of around 3 dozen food products for deficient labelling, worth approximately 400 euros.

According to what was possible to find out from the Cannareporter, the two establishments targeted in the administrative offense proceedings were “Bud Temple” and “CBWeed”. “Cannabis Store Amsterdam Funchal”, “Cannabis BioStore Funchal” and “Cannabis & Wine Ponta do Sol” confirmed the inspection of their establishments. However, they claim not to have been subject to any type of procedure.

“Lack of clarity and information about hemp”

Speaking to CannaReporter, Fábio Faria, owner of the stores “Cannabis Store Amsterdam Funchal”, “BioCannabis Store Funchal” and “Cannabis & Wine Ponta do Sol”, confirms that ARAE inspected all food products, having verified that everything was “according to the law”. “The PSP also decided to check the documentation and analyzes of the hemp flowers”, with the businessman advancing that the PSP “is a little suspicious when the test they carry out is positive, because the PSP tests do not check the THC content, they only check if is it cannabis or not”, considering that there is still a way to go in terms of training and informing about hemp products.

In another establishment, at CBWeed, one of the products seized by ARAE was, among others, chewing gum, motivated by the fact that it had a “THC Free” inscription. The company's owners, who remained as trustees of the preventively seized products, question the criteria for this seizure by the Madeiran entity. “We are a franchise, there are stores all over the country with the same products, and this type of problem does not exist”, affirm the owners of CBWeed, who are awaiting the course of the normal procedures for this procedure.

Regional media criticized

The communication regarding the action of ARAE and its coverage in the media also deserved harsh criticism from businessman Fábio Faria, who criticizes “the Jornal da Madeira and Diário de Notícias da Madeira made the news wrong and misled many people”. Fábio Faria mainly accuses the Diário de Notícias da Madeira of not confirming its news, of not talking to the targeted businessmen, stressing that “the same journalist who 3 years ago reported misleadingly apprehensions in our stores”.

Fábio Faria adds that "the Diário (of Madeira News) is report, once again, in an unclear way, news of seizures in Funchal and Ponta do Sol when in our stores there were no seizures, everything was within the law.”

Our media should not mislead its readers”, clarifies the entrepreneur.

CannaReporter will continue to follow this issue, having asked the authorities for a reaction.