The Story of Pannagh : An Update

Pannagh has recently become one of the global symbols of all those who fight for the legalization of cannabis. For those who don’t know, Pannagh was officially founded as a Spanish non-profit organization in 2003, and his members were pot smokers and pot lovers. The purpose of the organization was raising awareness towards the risks related to illegal marijuana trafficking and the misuse of the plant. According to the official data, 39 out of the 79 people who were part of the organization used cannabis for medical purposes, mainly to deal with the secondary effects of chemotherapy. As a matter of fact, Pannagh had a direct link with some of the major Spanish institutions that deal with patients who suffer from breast cancer. In order to be able to provide cannabis for its members, Pannagh initiated a program to grow organic marijuana.

In 2011, the organization was forced to close by the Spanish government and its members were accused of promoting illegal activities. The prosecutor asked for 22 years of prison to punish the members of Pannagh.

A few days ago, the reexamination of the trial began. The defendants are the president, the treasurer, the secretary, and two other members of Pannagh who supervised the cultivation of cannabis. The charges are unbelievable: drug trafficking and criminal activities. The punishment could be six years in prison.

The president, Martin Barriuso, an activist who has always fought to publicize the therapeutic potentials of the cannabis plan, have once again stated that Pannagh was a non-profit organization, adding that the cultivation was only initiated in order to provide free cannabis for the members – who needed it for medical reasons.

The trial has become a real symbol for many Spanish activists, who are supporting Pannagh and its members. The truth is that Pannagh was there because the Spanish government wasn’t: it was filling a juridical and institutional hole, which elsewhere has been occupied by illegal trafficking and organized crime. Instead of trying to understand their mission and ethics, however, the Spanish government have decided to punish the members of Pannagh.

The world is looking, and you can follow the tag #freePannagh if you are interested in joining the fight, one of the most significant within the European context. Truth be told, unless you cultivate good quality weed (using seeds like those you can buy here http://greenhouseseeds.nl/) in your house, hidden from the world, you could very well face the same injustice the member of Pannagh are now challenging.

Let’s be united! Always…#freePannagh.