Alberto Pires, from Cannadouro and Planeta Sensi, has died at the age of 45

The hemp and cannabis sector in Portugal is in mourning. Alberto Pires, co-founder of Cannadouro – Porto International Hemp Fair and businessman, owner of grow and head shop, Planet Sensi, died yesterday in a motorcycle accident on Via Norte, in Matosinhos, in the district of Porto.

The news was confirmed to Cannareporter by João Carvalho, director of Cannadouro, who was visibly sad and dismayed by the loss of his long-time friend and partner. Alberto was well known in the cannabis world in Portugal. He was the commercial director of Cannadouro — Feira Internacional do Cânhamo and Cannadouro Magazine, as well as a businessman and owner of Planeta Sensi stores, which he acquired in 2009.

Alberto Pires and João Carvalho, the two founders of Cannadouro, at the last edition of the Fair at Alfândega do Porto, in November 2022 – Photo: Marco Valente

Alberto was born in France on November 16, 1978, but returned to Portugal as a child. He completed compulsory education and began working early as a mechanic and later as an assembly line technician. However, he would eventually become a businessman, acquiring, in 2009, Planeta Sensi, one of the best-known Portuguese Grow Shops. Since 2017, he has also dedicated himself to organizing Cannadouro — Porto International Hemp Fair, together with João Carvalho, which has grown considerably over the 5 editions held and has become the meeting point for cannabis culture in the country. Cannadouro Magazine, the first 100% Portuguese paper magazine about cannabis, would see the light of day in 2021, with 11 issues already on newsstands. Cannareporter has been a partner of Cannadouro since its foundation and has always worked with Alberto Pires and João Carvalho to provide more and better information about cannabis and hemp in Portugal.

Alberto Pires declared dead at the scene
The accident that killed Alberto Pires yesterday late afternoon was reported by Jornal de Notícias (JN). According to a source from the Sub-Regional Civil Protection Emergency Operations Command of the Porto Metropolitan Area, cited by JN, Alberto Pires died at the scene, an extensive straight road from Via Norte. The Leça do Balio Volunteer Firefighters received the alert at 19.12 pm on Friday and were on site with a team of nine firefighters and four cars, including a team from the Emergency and Resuscitation Medical Vehicle (VMER) from Hospital de S. João .

JN states that “according to a source from the PSP in Porto, the fatal accident was caused by a crash, with the intervention of other vehicles being ruled out for now. It appears that the driver lost control of the motorcycle, fell and hit the central dividers violently. The motorcycle only stopped several tens of meters away”, says JN. However, Cannareporter had information that some witnesses at the scene told the PSP that they had seen another 'out of control' vehicle and that it had 'fled', and that it may have been involved in the accident.

The case is now in the hands of the Judiciary Police and Alberto's body will be autopsied at the Porto Legal Medicine Institute. It is not yet known when the funeral ceremonies will take place.

Cannareporter sends its deepest condolences to all of Alberto Pires' family and friends, a friend who we will certainly miss greatly. Rest in peace.