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Village looks to pot for financial help

RASQUERA, Spain, April 10 (UPI) -- A Spanish village hopes growing marijuana for a Barcelona cooperative will help pay off its $1.5 million debt from infrastructure projects.

But Rasquera, in the autonomous region of Catalonia, could have a problem. While marijuana is legal in Catalonia, it is illegal under Spanish law, and Catalonia is also part of Spain, Public Radio International reported Tuesday.

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Mayor Bernat Pallisa hopes to contract with a marijuana association. The group's 5,000 members pay monthly dues and receive a supply of pot in return.

The association grows its own but says it needs more space. Rasquera, situated on the Mediterranean a 2-hour trip from Barcelona, appears to be a good site.

The village of about 3,000 people also needs the money. Pallisa said Rasquera went into debt a decade ago for modest improvements to its streets and still owes $1.5 million.

Villagers already grow cherries and olives, and Pallisa believes marijuana is simply a more profitable crop.

"Marijuana is like any of the crops you see around here," he said. "Pot's something you can plant that brings you a profit."

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