Spain has been deemed the “New Amsterdam” in recent years due to its leniency for cannabis. It may not be as lenient as Amsterdam itself, but every user will be able to enjoy smoking legally in private places. Buying cannabis in Spain isn’t a viable option outright, but there are loopholes that will allow you to grab a sac without any fear of prosecution.

Can you buy cannabis in Spain? Cannabis is decriminalized in Spain, though not fully legal. This means that wherever you buy from has to be regulated, such as social clubs. Seeds are able to be sold, but only at qualified stores. Smoking cannabis is only allowed when one is inside their own home and could face consequences if caught smoking outside.

There’s a loophole for buying cannabis legally, and the system seems to allow it due to the circumstances you have to go through. In this article, we will go over social clubs, and general don’ts when using Cannabis in Spain.

How Many Cannabis Clubs Are There?

Spain has over 700 Cannabis clubs, with 200 of those being in its capital, Barcelona. All of these clubs differ in ways that include

• How Many Grams You Can Have Each Day: Some social clubs will allow you to take home 3grams a day, while another one could let you go home with 8. This depends on how much the club has in supply and your membership plan.

• Membership Fee’s: Fee’s can be up to 50 euros a year, with the lower ends bottoming out at 20 euros. Yearly memberships are the only options you get, and you have to be invited by another member.

• Scenery: Amsterdam coffee shops give off a bar aesthetic, while social clubs look like you stepped into a friend’s living room. Social clubs can be found as three-story-buildings or a simple two-room shop.

Membership prices are something to keep your eye out for. There are a few clubs that offer free membership but can spell future inconveniences such as raids or terrible service. Social Clubs are definitely worth the price when you take into account how much you’ll be taking home legally, as you might have been spending more if you went to a secondhand source.

Can Non-Members Buy?

If you aren’t a member of the social club, you will not be allowed to take anything home, let alone smoke anything there. This is due to Spain’s policy on cannabis. You can’t buy it from a secondhand source. Growing cannabis on behalf of your friends is acceptable, and has to be proven during any investigation.

Social clubs require members to register for this very reason; you’re giving them permission to grow your cannabis for you on the premise that you pay a small fee to help with the operation. During your sign up process, you’ll be asked how many grams a week you plan on taking from the club. The number you give isn’t a weekly requirement, so you don’t have to routinely visit the club every day.

How Legal Are They?

You won’t have a problem with most social clubs, but many have seen repeat raids for a multitude of offenses. These charges typically revolve on where the club bought the cannabis. The commonality is unfortunate, but some social clubs will opt to buy the cannabis outright instead of growing it. This delegitimizes the club because they bought it, meaning that you in someway partook in buying weed because your money didn’t go into a grow room.

Raids are one of the main reasons that social clubs have strict rules with their members. A slip up on one’s part can take away the business for everyone, and they will often drop members for the good of the club if their behavior is deemed too risky. Clubs in Spain may not allow you to even enter the club unless you’re 21 or older, with a few clubs allowing their members to be 18.

The government’s rules translate to serious scrutiny when overlooking I.Ds, so you can rest assured that your fake won’t work. Again, this is because one slip up could completely derail the club in the best case, with the worse seeing the owners or members going to jail. False I.D’s are another reason that many clubs face raids.

Most social clubs will only allow sessions inside the club because they understand the potential problems that smoking on the sidewalk can bring. When trying to secure a reliable and legal source of cannabis, it’s best to just grow.

How Much Can I Have?

Spain won’t allow you to keep anything over 98grams at a time,  which is almost 3.5 ounces. Keep in mind this is referencing it being stored in your home. Having anything more than five grams on you is punishable by a fine of 300 euros with the possibility of jail. Some cops are more lenient than others and will understand if you’re coming home from the social club when they stop you. Others may not see things the same way, and even going to check your mail with a few grams could land you in jail.

You can cultivate 3 to 5 plants in Spain, but you have to prove that these are grown for personal use, and isn’t shared with family or friends. Like the social clubs, you are able to cultivate a cannabis plant on behalf of your friends or family, but you need written approval that needs to be validated if an investigation is underway.

Is It Legal To Buy From Family?

Buying even a .5 from your uncle could land both of you in trouble, and the sentences only grow harsher with higher volumes and repeat offenses. Even if you aren’t able to get a membership at a social club, why try buying? The government will allow you to plant your own seeds and grow your own, which will only bring in more seeds. Buying cannabis from any second-hand source isn’t really needed when low-cost memberships and personal cultivation are encouraged options.

Your only legal option for buying is social clubs, and even then, you aren’t really buying the cannabis from the club. You give money for the operation for a certain portion of the profit a week.

What Is And Isn’t Legal

Cannabis is still illegal in Spain, but it’s decriminalized enough for people to enjoy regular use for personal or medical reasons. When in Spain, you will notice that some people don’t care very much about where or when they smoke cannabis. Do not follow their lead. Even if some areas are more lenient than others, that doesn’t mean it’s illegal. You can still be prosecuted for using cannabis outside. 

If you’re walking home from the social club, then place your sac in your undergarments. Officers aren’t allowed to search there without a warrant. An officer may allow you to go home if they stop you and notice a few ounces in your car. Another may cuff you on the spot. Smoking or buying in any public area is illegal.

What Are The Consequences For Buying?

As we said earlier in the article, you’re going to see a minimum 300 euro fine and some possible jail time. The government is very strict about secondhand buying when there are other alternatives for securing cannabis. Despite these consequences, there are many blocks with graffiti tagged hemp plants. These are the sure shine that it’s a selling area, and there’s a club around the block.