Andorra prepares a single licence for medicinal cannabis cultivation

Andorra is moving closer to allowing the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes. The Government considers the reform of the Agriculture and Livestock Farming Act presented on Tuesday to be “the most important step” towards launching this new activity in the country, as it creates the legal structure needed for the primary sector to participate in the development of new agricultural industries.

Minister for the Environment, Agriculture and Livestock Farming Guillem Casal explained that the legislative amendment creates a collective representative body for the primary sector, designed to act as an interlocutor with the public administration and help promote projects of general interest.

The reform has been developed in cooperation with representatives of Andorra's farming sector. The Government concluded that introducing new regulated crops such as cannabis required a legal mechanism capable of providing collective representation for farmers.

Casal said the reform represents a major step towards cannabis cultivation because it provides the framework through which the agricultural sector can participate in the creation of new industries.

A single licence for cannabis cultivation

Alongside the agricultural reform, the Government is preparing specific legislation regulating the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes. The bill is already at an advanced stage and is expected to be submitted to Parliament during the upcoming parliamentary session.

The process will first require approval of the reform of the Agriculture and Livestock Farming Act, followed by the specific cannabis legislation. Once the legal framework is in place, a tender will be launched to award the cultivation licence.

Under the model currently being considered by the Government, there would be a single licence for one operator. Cannabis would also have to be grown indoors rather than in outdoor plantations, with strict security and regulatory requirements.

Casal stressed that cannabis cultivation would become a highly regulated sector.

The new collective representative body could also play an important role in future projects involving regulated agricultural activities. To receive official recognition, it will have to represent at least 65% of Andorra's active agricultural holdings, while its members must belong to an association with at least ten years of experience in the country.

Participation through this representative body will provide applicants with additional points in tenders for licences linked to new agricultural activities. The precise scoring methodology will subsequently be established through regulations.

Encouraging generational renewal

The reform introduces a second legal structure known as the Garec, an agricultural or livestock farming group for joint operation, designed particularly to encourage generational renewal and ensure the continuity of farms.

The system will allow between two and five agricultural holdings to share production equipment, infrastructure and other resources, with the aim of improving efficiency, reducing costs and strengthening their economic viability. The model is inspired by a system already used in France, where it has proved particularly useful in bringing younger generations into farming.

The arrangement will allow different farms to cooperate without having to establish a conventional company. Each member will be able to contribute different resources, including land, livestock, equipment or technology.

The Government believes this structure could help address cases in which farming families have no younger generation willing to take over their holdings, allowing other farmers to ensure their continued operation.

The reform also introduces zoological units for livestock animals (NZAR), covering facilities where animals are kept for family self-consumption. These units will be subject to health controls but will not be considered commercial agricultural holdings.

As a result, they will not be allowed to sell their products or receive public subsidies intended for agricultural businesses. The measure is intended to improve animal welfare and sanitary oversight while preventing unfair competition with professional farms.

Overall, the new framework seeks to diversify Andorra's primary sector, encourage generational renewal and prepare the legal ground for new agricultural industries, with medicinal cannabis cultivation emerging as one of the most significant developments.