Is Spain Weed-Friendly?

A grow-shop in Spain

If you ever go in Spain and decide to try some local marijuana, you should first consider this information: There’s no law that regulates marijuana use or possession, which may mean that consuming weed is not a crime.


But it’s a little bit strange, and even irritating, that there is a lack of a concrete national policy about the drug. The Pannagh Cannabis Club (PCC), which is one of the first Spanish private member marijuana social clubs, was founded by Martin Barriuso in 2003. Since the creation of the club, they were subject of permanent police investigations.

Barriuso himself explained that the club is a place to find and buy cannabis, but it’s not created for commercial purposes. This unusual situation in Spain led to confusion and even division in the authority of police forces.

For example, the police in Basque tolerate the Pannagh club, but local authorities would prefer them to move in another town. There are also contradictions in law about cannabis possession. If a person is caught with a package full of marijuana, the police may fine him from €300 up to €30,000.

No matter if his intention was to smoke for recreational use, which is not a crime, he can still get penalized because of transporting hemp to private properties.

 Barriuso’s club was shut down in 2005, when an anti-drug prosecutor accused them of being a part of a “criminal organization”. Despite all that, he still remains positive about the development of laws regarding certain strains to grow marijuana in the country.