Portugal: Cannabis companies confirm searches by the Judiciary Police, but that does not mean they are 'guilty'

Portugal woke up this morning to the news of a major operation by the Judicial Police (PJ) on companies licensed to operate with medicinal cannabis. Several facilities were searched as part of Operation “Erva Daninha” across the mainland and on Madeira Island, but that does not mean that all of them are necessarily in an irregular situation. CannaReporter® is trying to contact some of them.

Around 300 inspectors, 48 ​​experts and 24 security guards from the PJ, in addition to six magistrates from the Public Prosecutor's Office and three judges were carrying out searches, seizures and, so far, four arrests, although it is not yet public who was arrested.

Portuguese televisions are transmit news with gallery of several Portuguese companies that were visited by the PJ (such as CannaForest or Herdade das Barrocas), but this does not mean that they are guilty or that they are in an irregular situation.

A Barrocas Estate, which is based in Estremoz, in Alentejo, confirmed to CannaReporter® this afternoon that it was also visited this morning by the Judiciary Police. On the phone, Jorge Godinho, CEO of the company, seemed calm about the operation: “yes, we were also targeted by the PJ searches, but nothing happened and I practically didn’t even say anything. They wanted to gather information, look at various things, such as accounting records, sales to customers, etc.”, he explained. Godinho also said he was “very calm” and available to actively collaborate with the authorities. “We provided all the information that the PJ requested and we are very calm. We are an organized company, which has always behaved rigorously and demandingly”, he said.

Another company visited was CannaForest, in Fundão. Led by the Portuguese-French Teresa Faísca and the French Christophe Bourier, the company has also been appearing in the images of the operation that are being shown on Portuguese television channels, similar to Herdade das Barrocas.

The Canna Forest facilities in Fundão

CannaReporter® managed to speak to Christophe Bourier, CFO of CannaForest, who confirmed that the PJ was at CannaForest’s facilities all day. “Yes, it’s true that the Polícia Judiciária was here and is still here [at 19:00 p.m. on Tuesday], but they are getting ready to leave,” confirmed Bourier. The CFO of CannaForest also said that all the requested documents were provided to the authorities: “We provided everything they asked for, from accounting reports to import and export certificates. On our side, there is no problem, the certificates are issued by Infarmed and everything is in accordance with the inspection carried out by Infarmed. The transport is also carried out by a certified company, so we had no problem in collaborating and showing everything,” said Bourier.

CNN also mentions a company called “Sofex, from Sardoal”, but this company does not have any license issued by Infarmed and “a company in Montenovo da Fataca, in São Teotónio, Odemira”, which CannaReporter® has not yet been able to verify.

The confusion that the generalist press makes when talking about cannabis

In addition to broadcasting images from several medicinal cannabis companies, even though they are not in an irregular situation (which can affect their image and public trust in the brand), the generalist media are confusing Operation “Erva Daninha” with the legality and limits of THC.

A RTP announced that “the Judiciary suspects that part of the drug would be adulterated with higher levels of THC and was diverted for drug trafficking”, leading to the belief that the problem is prohibited levels of THC, when there are no THC limits in medicinal cannabis (only industrial hemp has a limit of 0,3% THC, but hemp has nothing to do with this case).

For its part, SIC reported and wrote: “According to what SIC has found, the issue is the transport of cannabis with a percentage of THC – the main psychoactive substance of the plant – higher than that permitted by law, which is 2%, outside of merchandise control”, revealing confusion and a huge lack of knowledge about what medicinal cannabis is and its regulation.

Early in the morning, also CNN reported that “under the guise of medicinal purposes, in an area with strict export and sales regulations, there are suspicions of large-scale hashish trafficking, for traditional consumption on the illegal market and not for medicinal purposes”. Furthermore, CNN also reported that one of the companies targeted was Curaleaf, following a confusion with reference to Terra Verde, where Ângelo Correia had a stake, but has already published a denial and apology to Curaleaf.

These are just a few examples of the confusion that is multiplied by the news from various national generalist media outlets when it comes to cannabis.

Information about this operation will be updated in the coming hours and days, as we receive more data and are able to make more contacts.

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Laura Ramos

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With a degree in Journalism from the University of Coimbra, Laura Ramos has a postgraduate degree in Photography and has been a Journalist since 1998. Winner of the Business of Cannabis Awards in the category "Journalist of the Year 2024", Laura was a correspondent for Jornal de Notícias in Rome, Italy, and Press Officer in the Office of the Minister of Education of the 21st Portuguese Government. She has an international certification in Permaculture (PDC) and created the street-art photography archive “Say What? Lisbon” @saywhatlisbon. Co-founder and Editor of CannaReporter® and coordinator of PTMC - Portugal Medical Cannabis, Laura directed the documentary “Pacientes” and was part of the steering group of the first Postgraduate Course in GxP's for Medicinal Cannabis in Portugal, in partnership with the Military Laboratory and the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon.

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