By Marguerite Arnold

Albania is hardly the place that most Europeans think of when they think of as the hip, happening centre of just about anything. The small, mountainous country on the Adriatic coast – less than 100 kilometres from Italy - has just over three million residents. It is also the continent’s most isolated country and one of its poorest.

Yet despite this, or perhaps because of it, the country has been the centre of a booming and escalating illegal drug trade – including marijuana – which authorities have been unable to halt. Since the 1990’s and its independence from communist rule, Albania has been one of the continent’s largest marijuana producing countries, as well as a transit point for other drugs coming into the continent via Asia and Latin America.

For the last three years, the country has also been the centre of a major interdiction effort by local authorities – aided by international police forces.

THE COLOMBIA OF EUROPE?

This year alone, local authorities have implemented 31 joint interdictions – aided by mostly Italian forces. That is in addition to the more than 1,200 raids led by domestic police. Close to 9,000 Albanian law enforcement personnel have been employed in the raids. Nine tons of marijuana have been seized.

Authorities have also destroyed between 1.7 – 2.4 million plants grown on an area of about 540 acres. That represents four times the amount destroyed last year. The plants were also worth about 3 billion Euros – or one third of Albania’s entire (official) gross domestic product. More than 250 people have been arrested, and more than 100 more remain “wanted.”

The rest of the world, on the cusp of at least accepting the efficacies of medical marijuana if not pondering other kinds of regulated reform, is suddenly sitting up and taking notice of Albania.

LAZARAT – EUROPE’S CANNABIS CAPITAL

According to a U.S. State Department Report on the situation earlier this year, “with the exception of cannabis, Albania is not a significant producer of illicit drugs, precursor chemicals or synthetic drugs. Except for marijuana, illegal drug use does not appear to be common.”

lazarat albania cultivation ilegal cannabis huge extensions traffic fields marijuana mafia

Economic necessity if not desperation is absolutely a driver for the market. As a local farmer quoted in the Manila Timesthis month said, “I am not committing a crime. It’s desperation that has led me to grow cannabis.”

Farmers, particularly in the rocky, isolated areas around the tiny town of Lazarus, have few other options to support their families. Two kilograms of marijuana sell for 600 Euros – the price the same farmers are able to get for a ton of wheat.

Farmers are also switching to genetically modified Dutch strains of the plant, which have shorter growing cycles – and thus create more opportunities to harvest the buds every year. There are three growing seasons – starting in late May.

SUPPLY TO MEET DEMAND

Armed gangs, many of them equipped with machine guns, protect the crops and export the product to the rest of Europe. A great deal of Albanian marijuana ends up in the U.K. – transported through “Europe’s back doors” – namely countries like Greece. There are increasing concerns that both organised Italian mafia and Isis activists are directly involved in European distribution, using the profits to then fund other criminal activities if not terrorism. While it may be remote from the rest of Europe, the situation that is devolving is hardly a “gentle” war.

In 2014, over 800 SWAT Team officers raided the village of Lazarat – resulting in a bloody shootout with local villagers. As police moved in to arrest farmers, SUVs with heavy machine guns and anti-tank guns moved in and started firing at the police.

Interdiction efforts here are a multi-step affair. Helicopters, mostly Italian in origin, survey rocky terrain from the air in search of crops. Police must then walk on foot through inhospitable terrain, guided less by maps than other tell-tale signs – such as water pipes used to irrigate the plants. However, despite stepped up efforts to stop the localgrowers, and a greater number of plants seized than in previous years, nothing seems to be changing. From the air, marijuana grows are hard to spot. Most interdictions at this point are limited to seizing water trucks headed for known cannabis production areas, arresting migrant workers on their way to the fields, and destroying cannabis in transit once it has been grown.

But the real reason that things are not changing is very simple – demand from the rest of the continent. Europeans, according to some reports, spend as much as 24 billion euros a year on “illicit” substances – the largest proportion of which is marijuana.

LEGALIZATION IS THE ANSWER

Despite stepped up interdiction efforts, most observers concede that things are not changing. The real way to stop an increasingly bloody war that does not seem to be halted by repeated interdictions by the police and military is legalization and regulation.

More than ironically, just across the Adriatic, as of this autumn, the Italian military is now in the marijuana grow and distribution business (albeit legally) to hospitals and pharmacies. The German government is now pondering not if but when to begin state-sanctioned marijuana grows (probably sometime after 2018). In the meantime, home-grow, particularly for medical use, is also becoming sanctioned in more and more countries.

As in the United States, particularly in the years right before Colorado and Washington State legalized their state markets, Europe is now struggling with how to proceed on marijuana reform – and on what level. According to data from U.S. law enforcement, seizures of marijuana across the U.S.- Mexican border have dropped year-over-year for the last 10 years. Legalization in the U.S. has achieved what the drug war in the American hemisphere could not – it undermined the cartels. There is no reason to believe the same strategy would not work in Europe.

There is also every reason to believe, despite increased focus on military interdiction in Albania, that authorities are rapidly reaching the same conclusion.

 

Cookies settings

We are requesting your permission to use your data for the reasons stated below:

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of data from a particular website that get stored on a user’s computer while they’re surfing the internet. Cookies have several different functions. Some of them track browser activity that enables businesses to deliver targeted advertisements. Other cookies serve to remember user login details to different websites to make jumping on social media, or other sites, a more fluid process. Because each cookie has its own unique ID, these pieces of data allow website owners to measure the unique traffic coming into their site.

Why do we use cookies?

Cookies come in handy when you visit our website. They ensure you stay logged in, that you can shop safely, and that the items you add to your cart stay there before you make a purchase. But cookies also help us. The data they provide allow us to improve our website and enable us to present you with targeted advertisements that are compatible with your interests.

What kind of cookies do we use?

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

How can I disable or delete cookies?

Not a fan of cookies? No worries. You can disable them (with the exception of necessary cookies) in your browser settings. However, blocking cookies may impact your browsing experience and prevent you from enjoying all of the technical features of our site.

Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: