Cannabis Social Club Dortmund is the first association in Dortmund to receive official approval from the Arnsberg District Government to grow cannabis. With this licence, the club is recognised as a cultivation association. The club’s aim is to give its members safe, controlled and responsible access to cannabis, always with a clear focus on prevention, youth protection and social responsibility.
Cultivation will start on 1 January 2025. Cannabis is to be passed on to members for the first time in April 2025. This deliberately chosen preparation period is intended to ensure that all processes are planned and implemented with the greatest care, so that high standards of security and prevention are guaranteed. “We don’t want to rush anything,” explains Dominik De Marco, Chair of the club. “Our aim is to do everything right from the outset: from planning and implementation through to the long-term support of our members.”
The production site will be set up at a secret location and equipped with state-of-the-art security technology. The distribution point is also being designed to the strictest security requirements and will be known only to club members. “We attach great importance to ensuring that only authorised persons have access,” De Marco stresses. “There is no place here for unauthorised persons or onlookers.”
Prevention as a central concern
A core concern of the club is prevention work. Two specially trained prevention officers are available to members as trusted contacts. “Our prevention officers are not there to control anyone, they are people you can trust,” explains De Marco. “They implement the prevention programme, organise training and offer advice.” The club respects its members’ right to make their own decisions and does not moralise. Rather, the aim is to prevent risky patterns of use and to strengthen protective factors through information and advice. Regular further training for the prevention officers ensures that the work always reflects the latest scientific knowledge.
Limited number of members and code of conduct
The club already has 85 members. At the start, Cannabis Social Club Dortmund will admit a maximum of 100 members. As soon as this limit is reached, admissions will be temporarily suspended. “It is important to us to get to know every member personally,” explains De Marco. “That is the only way we can make sure that everyone shares our values and abides by our code of conduct.” It includes guidelines for treating one another with respect and rules for the responsible use of cannabis. “Our code of conduct is not just a set of rules, it reflects our attitude,” De Marco continues.
Membership costs a one-off admission fee of €350 and a monthly membership fee of €25. The admission fee is used to finance setting up the club and meeting security and quality standards. In the long term, the club plans to reduce the fees once all the necessary investments have been completed.
“Our aim is to reinvest all income in the club,” De Marco says in conclusion. “This will allow us to admit more members in the medium term and to cover running costs on a lasting basis.”
Anyone interested can find out about the activities of Cannabis Social Club Dortmund on the club’s website at https://csc.do/.