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Denmark to Turn City of Odense into Cannabis Capital

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Thanks to a legislative change on Jan. 1, 11 Danish companies have received the green light to grow cannabis in Odense, the third-largest city in Denmark. Odense literally means “Odin’s Sanctuary,” named after the Norse God.

A bipartisan effort in Denmark led to the launch of a four-year medical cannabis pilot program on Jan. 1 in Denmark. Danes can obtain a legal prescription from a doctor. One of the first cities to embrace the lucrative potential of cannabis production is Odense.

Mads Pedersen, CEO of Alfred Pedersen & Søn, announced a DKK 250 million ($40.5 million) investment in cannabis cultivation. “It would be great if Odense could become a cannabis capital,” Mads Pedersen told Hufvudstadsbladet. Pedersen’s facility will be the size of 13 soccer fields. After teaming up with the Canadian cannabis company Aurora, the facility will provide for up to 150 jobs.

Lars Thomassen, another entrepreneur, is seeking to open up a 30,000-square-foot greenhouse near Odense for his company, Danish Cannabis. According to Thomassen, his facility would be capable of producing 2,000 metric tons of cannabis per year. Like Alfred Pedersen & Søn, his company will be teaming up with a Canadian company. Canopy Growth Corporation is expected to invest DKK 100 million ($16 million) into that project.

Denmark has already been known as a cannabis mecca with Christiana, an autonomous anarchist district in Copenhagen where cannabis and hash have been openly traded for decades. Consumers can buy cannabis on the street and pick between several grades of hash, pollen, charas and extracts. Christiana enacts its own laws, but recent drone raids have slowed cannabis trade.  “Once you manage to produce one kilo vacuum-packed bags, the value is about DKK 100,000 [$16,000], it’s like opening a stand in Christiania,” Thomassen said. Although the anarchists running the town freely allow cannabis, in 1979, the town administration banned hard drugs, a policy still in effect today.

In addition to its rich Viking past, Odense is also home to many associations with Hans Christian Andersen, the legendary fairy tale author who is well known in the United States. The addition of cannabis production could add an entirely new facet to the city.

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