From the Historic Center of Disneyland: Cannabis and Absinthe Shops on Every Corner

Amongst the historical architecture and cobblestone streets, cannabis and absinthe shops dot every corner in Prague.

Although a business in Prague 1 district has to go through two rounds of selection procedures, the number of cannabis shops with the distinctive green cross sign are growing.

The City Council tries to favor entrepreneurs who can successfully promote their services and products, but the locals complain. Tenants are therefore obliged to comply with the City Council’s manual for the appearance and signage of establishments, set in 2020.

Others are dealt with by the state authorities, preservationists, or the trade licensing office.

Cannabis shops decorated with signs beckoning customers to try their products have come to dominate the historic center of Prague in recent years. But, only technical cannabis is allowed to be sold which can confuse tourists unfamiliar with Czech law.

According to Government Regulation No. 463/2013 Coll. on addictive substances, technical cannabis is defined as a registered variety in which the psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) does not exceed 1% of the dry weight of the plant.

However, since even technical hemp contains a small amount of THC, vendors must not encourage their customers to consume it otherwise sellers could be accused of spreading addiction. For this reason, cannabis products are often labeled as collectibles in Prague shops.

But not everywhere.

Some vendors are unafraid of the law and proudly state on their shop signs that you can buy the best THC joints there. But that could backfire on the brave entrepreneur.

According to Act No. 167/1998 Coll., on addictive substances, it is prohibited to cultivate species and varieties of the
cannabis plant (genus Cannabis) that may contain more than 0.3% of substances from the THC group. The actual sale of addictive substances is prohibited.

Complaints about inappropriate establishments in the historic center occasionally land on the desk of Prague City Hall.

“Within our own premises, we deal with them individually within the framework of the concluded contractual relations – our tenants are obliged to comply with the City Council’s manual for the appearance and labeling of establishments from 2020,” says Karel Grabein Procházka, Prague city councilor for business support.

Businesses in properties owned by private owners are dealt with individually by one of the state administration bodies, cultural conservationists, or the trade licensing office.

Entrepreneurs looking to open businesses in Prague 1 have a lengthy process ahead of them.

The Prague 1 City Hall offers free commercial space in two ways:
– by posting a notice on the official notice board and on its real estate portal.
– through a two-round tender procedure in cases where the business plan itself needs to be regulated

“In the first round, we eliminate offers from business plans that we fundamentally do not want in the space, offers from entrepreneurs who do not have good references and offers from entrepreneurs that we evaluate as risky,” says Grabein Procházka. “Once the wheat is separated from the chaff, the highest bidder will win.”

The Prague City Council also follows the recommendations of its advisory body, the Trade and Services Commission. The city’s leadership gives preference to businesses and their activities that the Commission recommends as appropriate to add to the mix of amenities.