A group of Italian agronomists
and entrepreneurs have begun to lay the foundations for the sale
and marketing of cannabis, saying that it will soon no longer be
illegal.
Though both growing and selling marijuana is currently
illegal in Italy, many people smoke it. Debate has long raged
over whether or not it should be made legal as in some other
countries, but the road ahead looks steep after Justice Minister
Andrea Orlando on Monday ruled out the legalization of the
substance for any uses other than therapeutic ones.
The identities of those organizing a future franchising of
marijuana cannot be known - for obvious reasons - but the
objective is clear: preside over a market with enormous
potential that will eventually open up, and get there before
others do when the time comes. The Nativa brand name has been
created, which for the moment only exists as an online idea to
understand "market interest in this business proposal" as well
as "come in ahead of the other players and thereby be the first
in consumers' imaginations with a strong, elegant brand that is
tied to the high-quality agro-food traditions that Italy has
long been known for around the world".
"We are certain that 2016 will be the year that marijuana
is legalised," Nativa's management say, "and we have decided to
bet on this. Once the market emerges, there will be many
possible ways to make use of these opportunities. We spent a
large portion of 2015 looking into what the best marketing
strategy is, shaping a business idea that we had long had and
studying its costs, critical issues and feasibility."
The idea would see single-brand shops in Italy's major
cities and open-air farms in such areas as Chianti, Salento and
Cilento, with products that are entirely natural and grown in
the soil (no hydroponic cultivation) and only marijuana for
smoking.
They say that it is a matter of "making marijuana into a
high-quality product that brings together the undisputed
knowledge of our farmers and a specific know-how that Italy has
always had in cannabis growing".
Italians consume an estimated 3 million kg of cannabis
annually.
A Nativa survey on 500 regular marijuana smokers showed
that 65% of respondents are forced to make do with what they
find and, of they could, would choose to smoke like in other
countries in the world (85%). Most do not feel guilty about
smoking (76%) and believe that the current law doesn't make
sense (85%).
The quality that Italian consumers manage to get is often
very low, but there is no awareness of what one is smoking other
than the look, smell and effect of it as well as the presence of
seeds.
Almost all marijuana consumers agree that the media do not
provide quality information on the issue (92%).
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