Each month I receive hundreds of questions from readers about Barcelona’s cannabis clubs. Questions range from “How Can I get Membership at a Cannabis Club in Barcelona?” to “Is Weed Legal in Barcelona?” to questions about the club’s use of personal information and many others. Of course, there’s also no shortage of questions about the actual marijuana in Barcelona, such as “What’s the price of weed in Barcelona?” and, “Can tourists join a Barcelona cannabis club?” Because many of these questions follow a common theme, I thought this short but direct list of the 10 most important things you need to know about Barcelona’s cannabis clubs might help shed some light on what is – by necessity – a private industry.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP
(This is a preliminary application process valid as of 2018; not all who apply will qualify for membership based on Spanish law and club policy. This process is not meant to be promotional in any way; application for membership is general and is not necessarily applied to any particular club unless the applicant fully qualifies.)
Here are the 10 most important things you need to know about cannabis clubs in Barcelona:
1.) Cannabis Clubs in Barcelona are Private, not Public
Don’t confuse a cannabis club in Barcelona for a coffeeshop in Amsterdam; they’re not at all the same thing. Amsterdam’s coffeeshops are public and are open to anyone at any time. Barcelona’s cannabis clubs, on the other hand, are only open to new members via referrals through existing members. These policies result in striking differences between the two:
- Amsterdam’s best coffeeshops feel like you’re hanging out at a pub or bar
- Barcelona’s best cannabis clubs feel like you’re hanging out in your own living room
If you join a cannabis social club in Barcelona, you can trust that your personal information will remain private. You won’t receive marked mail from the club, the club won’t sell, give away, or provide your information to anyone else, the club will not leak or otherwise make your information available to government or other authorities, and the club won’t spam you with advertisements or offers. Why? Because it’s all private, not public.
Get Cannabis in Barcelona – Join a Private Barcelona Cannabis Club Now
2.) You Don’t “Buy” Weed from Barcelona’s Cannabis Clubs
When you become a member of a cannabis club in Barcelona, you are essentially part of a coalition that grows and distributes marijuana among its members. Therefore, the marijuana that’s grown belongs to all members, including you. You are required to pay for your share of what it costs to grow the marijuana and for the building space and other facilities, utilities, etc. These costs are recouped in a number of ways, and members generally share the cost.
This means that you’re not buying marijuana when you go to a Barcelona smoking club. You’re simply acquiring your share of what you and other members have collectively grown. Therefore, it is considered rude to talk about “buying weed,” and if you do so while at a club you might be corrected. Instead, ask how much the member share is, or how much contribution is required for X number of grams of cannabis.
Click this link to learn more about the legality of Cannabis in Barcelona
3.) You Need a Photo ID and Address in Spain to Get Membership at a Barcelona Cannabis Club
In order to get a membership at a Barcelona cannabis club, you must present a valid government-issued passport, driver’s license, state or regional ID, NIE/DNI card, or other photo-visa. You must also register using a regular residential address in Spain; in most cases a hotel or hostel address won’t work, so you will need to provide a residential address. No mail will ever be sent to the address you provide, the information will be kept strictly confidential and in most cases you are not required to “prove” your address. Spanish residency is NOT required to join a cannabis club in Barcelona or any other city; you must merely supply a residential address at the time of your inscription. AirBnB and similar addresses are perfectly acceptable to use at registration.
NOTE: In addition to the above, some clubs may require you to allow them to photograph you for their records. If you’re comfortable with this, then go for it.
Additionally, some clubs require members to be 21 years old or older, while others accept new members as young as age 18. If you’re trying to pull a fast one because you are under age, don’t bother; your identification will be rigorously checked by club staff before you are allowed to enter.
Join a Private Barcelona Cannabis Club Now
4.) You can Still Get in Trouble for Smoking Marijuana in Barcelona
Just because you can get weed legally in Barcelona doesn’t mean you can be flippant about it. Spanish law is very liberal in private spaces. Therefore, it’s okay to have some marijuana in your own home, or in a private Barcelona cannabis club. But if you display or use marijuana in a public place and are caught, you’ll almost certainly be fined, the marijuana will be confiscated, and depending on the circumstances, you could be arrested and jailed.
Be smart. Just because you see people smoking joints on Las Ramblas doesn’t mean you should too. In fact, the truth of the matter is that outside of a private residence or a legitimate cannabis club, you could be harassed and ticketed by police. If you take cannabis out of a club (most people do) then please remember to transport it in your under garments. Spanish authorities cannot search there without a warrant. If you do get caught with weed in public, you will be ticketed and pay a fine, but there is no criminality involved unless you are over a threshold that most cannabis club members never exceed.
The best policy if you are stopped by police and found with cannabis is to say as little as possible, and do not tell the police where you acquired the cannabis.
5.) Not All Marijuana at Cannabis Clubs in Barcelona is grown by the Club
Some Barcelona smoking clubs can’t afford the space, equipment, risk, or services required to grow fine quality marijuana. Instead, they resort to acquiring it via other means. In some cases this may involve getting weed from other cannabis clubs in Barcelona, or it may require cooperation with large growers out in the Spanish countryside. There are also some clubs that get their marijuana from the guys that sell it down on the beach.
Where the club acquires its cannabis may not matter to you, but it definitely does to me. After all, if I wanted street marijuana, I’d just go get it from the street guys directly, and at a much better price. The problem is that, because growing cannabis at scale is not legal in Spain, many clubs have been raided repeatedly, and at great expense. Therefore, many clubs opt to procure cannabis via local supplier networks, which often service a large number of clubs. Often, the cannabis acquired from these networks is excellent, but in some cases, it’s sub-standard, so make sure you only join a Barcelona cannabis club with a superior reputation for the quality of its marijuana.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP
6.) Not All of Barcelona’s Smoking Clubs are Created Equal
The differences from one Barcelona cannabis club to the next are astounding. There are huge clubs that span three floors of a major building, and there’s clubs that are nothing more than one small room with a couple of cheap chairs. There are clubs that are located in dark basements, and clubs that are in bright new spaces. Some are themed, some are not. Some are fancy, some are dingy.
Whatever type of environment you’re looking for, chances are that you can find it at a cannabis club in Barcelona. In fact, there’s even a gay cannabis club in the city called Berry Boi, but I’ve never been able to get much information on it. If you know of this club or you’re a member there, please get in touch with me: russ@marijuanagames.org
What I’ve found is that most people who are regulars at Barcelona’s cannabis clubs have memberships to multiple clubs – usually at least 5 or 6 – and frequent them all for different reasons; different strains of cannabis, different people, different environments, different locations in the city, etc.
7.) Most Cannabis Clubs Charge a Yearly Membership Fee
You’ll pay your fair share for the effort required to grow your marijuana and house you in a number of ways. First, nearly every club requires the payment of a yearly membership fee. This is generally 25-50 Euro, but can be as low as 20 Euro and as high as 100 Euro. Some clubs give membership away for free, but this is rare and often comes at a price – poor service, cruddy environment, terrible weed, etc.
It is not appropriate to negotiate or attempt to have the membership fee waived. We are all members; we all need to support each other, and these small fees are how we pull together to do this. You’ll also contribute a set amount per gram for different marijuana strains and hash, and for any other products or services offered by the club.
Additionally, you may want to bring a friend or family member with you to the club who doesn’t smoke, but still wants to see what it’s like. This is completely acceptable, but this person must still register for membership to be able to enter the club, in keeping with the private nature of the clubs which is necessary for their existence. Remember; if a person could just walk into a club off the street, without becoming a member, then the club cannot be considered “private,” and thus will have no protections under the law. The best thing to do is to bring your friend with you even if they don’t use cannabis; most clubs have beer and wine, snacks and sweets, movies, games, videos, live music, special events, and more to keep everyone happy; even non-smokers.
Join a Barcelona Cannabis Social Club Now
8.) There are Legal Limits to How Much Marijuana you Can Acquire
This is important; there are limits to how much weed you can procure per month at a cannabis club in Barcelona. I believe the limits are something like 98 grams, depending on the club, which means that if you’re getting lots of weed at multiple clubs, you could be subject to investigation. Probably not, but you should know this. When you register at a Barcelona cannabis club, you will be provided with information about what the limits are, and you’ll sign a form stating you’ve read this information.
You’ll be asked on the forms how many grams per week you will acquire from the club. This is not a commitment; it is merely an estimate, so you are not required to collect this amount each week. Clubs will only allow you to acquire 5 grams per day maximum, although some clubs allow more or less, depending on the club and the member in question. I usually write that I’ll acquire around 8-10 grams per week or up to 40 per month, and for me that’s probably pretty accurate unless I’m doing a lot of entertaining that month.
By filling out this form, you are authorizing the club to grow X grams of cannabis on your behalf. This protects the club in the event that its cultivation operations are investigated.
9.) Cannabis Clubs in Spain Cannot Advertise Publicly
Because Spain’s cannabis clubs are private, members-only organizations, they cannot publicly advertise. This may be why so few people are aware of what’s really going on in Barcelona, how prevalent the cannabis clubs are, and that membership is available even to foreigners.
If you see that a Barcelona cannabis club is advertising publicly, such as someone handing out fliers or other literature or advertisements on the street, then you probably should not go to that particular club. After all, doing business with a cannabis club that’s breaking the rules is self-defeating when lawmakers in Barcelona and Spain overall still haven’t really made their minds up about cannabis clubs just yet.
If you are approached by someone on the street who wants you to join a cannabis club, you should take extreme caution as this is probably not legitimate. Professional clubs do not send promoters out into the streets to recruit new members – they don’t need to and it’s against the law anyway. I know some shady characters who promote clubs on Las Ramblas and the popular plazas nearby, and they’re not exactly people you want to get involved with.
Beware.
Join a Cannabis Club Now
10.) Regulations for Cannabis Clubs in Barcelona are on the Way
There are close to 200 cannabis clubs in Barcelona, and they’ve all been operating under what are often confusing statutes and grey areas that make it difficult to be certain that they’re doing the right thing. Thankfully, legislators have been hard at work developing a set of standards that Barcelona’s cannabis clubs can be held to. Some of these standards are being put into effect now, while others have been reserved for systematic implementation.
This means that we can expect at least some changes to the way cannabis clubs operate in the coming months, so it’s important to stay abreast of these changes in case any of them present risk or potential problems for you, whether you’re a Spaniard or not.
UPDATE: A lot has happened in the last few years. Catalonia passed a referendum to regulate the cannabis clubs, thanks to the La Rosa Verde petition, but then in 2017 the region lost its autonomy after a failed bid for independence. Now, the federal government of Spain has stepped in, applying Constitutional law, which protects and allows cannabis clubs to exist without the need for specific regulation…at least for now [2018 and beyond]. For more information about this, please review the materials at the following link:
Acquiring Membership at a Cannabis Club in Barcelona is Relatively Simple
There seems to be a lot of mystery about Barcelona’s cannabis clubs, but the reality is that in most cases, membership opportunities are abundant. So how exactly does one go about getting membership at a Barcelona cannabis club? If you know someone who is already a member of a club, you can simply ask them to sponsor you. If you don’t know anyone, then you’re more than welcome to strike up a dialogue with me in the comments below, in the comments on this post about my first experience at a club in BCN, or by using the site’s contact form. You can also email me directly at russ@marijuanagames.org. I’ve helped many people acquire membership at a Barcelona cannabis club, and I may be able to do the same for you.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP
(This is a preliminary application process valid as of 2018; not all who apply will qualify for membership based on Spanish law and club policy. Application for membership is general and is not necessarily applied to any particular club unless the applicant fully qualifies.)
EDITOR DISCLAIMER: This post was originally written in 2013, but received substantial edits and additions in September 2018 and was republished accordingly. Hence, you may see dates on comments from several years ago, though the publishing date of the newly revised and expanded post is 18 September 2018.
- Barcelona Cannabis Club Review: Green Age - March 23, 2022
- Things to do after Smoking Weed in Barcelona - March 2, 2022
- 9 Things You Need to Know about Cannabis Clubs in Madrid - February 15, 2022
498 thoughts on “10 Things You Need to Know about Barcelona Cannabis Clubs”
Hi Russ, thanks so much for your article, it was really informative as I was finding it difficult to get any info!do these clubs also have medicinal oil? Would like to chat to you more if that’s possible? Thank you jessie 🙂
Hi Jessie;
That’s a tough question to answer. Some clubs do, and some clubs don’t. Some sell a lot of concentrates and run out often, while some don’t sell any concentrates and their product ages. A few clubs do it right; Sweet Dreams is an excellent example that comes to mind. But it’s really hit-or-miss, which is why so many people who live in and visit Barcelona have membership at multiple clubs. Ultimately, I prefer raw flower so I may not be the best person to ask about oils and other concentrates. If you have other questions please email me at russ@marijuanagames.org and I will address them there. Peace -Russ
Hi thanks for a very informative article! I am in Barcelona from Wednesday and would very much like to join a club. Do you refer people to a particular club? or is there a choice? 🙂 looking forward to hearing from you, Elly
Hi Elly; Well, I can only refer people to the clubs I am a member of. It’s also based on your age, so there are a few variables to consider. Best thing to do is to email me at russ@marijuanagames.org and we can discuss it further there. Peace -Russ
Hello Russ,
Thank you for your informative articles. There are a lot of sites about cannabis clubs and Spain’s marijuana policy, but I’ve yet to find a clearer explanation than yours. I will be spending some time in Barcelona over the next few weeks, and I would be so grateful if you could help me become a member of a proper club. I will e-mail you the day before I arrive. Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Sallie
Thanks for your comments, Sallie! I look forward to hearing from you. 😉 Peace -Russ
Hey,
Im living in BCN and interested in jointing a couple clubs. I’ve read most of your reviews and was leaning towards Sweet Dreams or Greenage. Im want a place that I can take my Dad (who is an authentic aging hippy from San Francisco ) that has great ambiance and maybe meet some cool people. Do you have any suggestion? Do I need a referral for the clubs I am considering and if so, how can I get one?
Thanks!
Phoebe
Hi Phoebe; Yes, you need a referral to join any club in Spain; not sure if you read the article you are commenting on, but if not you should as it explains all of this in detail. I will send you private message so check your email and we can talk about it there. Peace -Russ
Hey Russ,
Great to see you helping people new to the BCN scene. I will be traveling to BCN on June 6th, staying a few days. I would like your help becoming a member of a club. I will email you the day before we arrive like you have asked others to do on this forum. Thanks again for doing what you are doing here. Peace.
Neil
Awesome -thanks for paying attention, Neil – I really appreciate that. I look forward to hearing from you on June 5th. 😉
Hey Russ 🙂 V helpful article so thanks a lot! I will be in Barcelona for two months from 10th June, would it be possible for you to help me get a membership? Take care- Flora
Hi Flora; Of course – I will be happy to assist you when you are in Barcelona. Just email me the day before you arrival at russ@marijuanagames.org and we’ll go from there. Peace -Russ
Hey Russ! I’ll be in barcelona end of the june for language school (coming from turkey)and probably i will stay in a some kind of student dormitory. i really dont know how things work there .Can you help me to get membership cuz i dont know anyone from barcelona . One more thing is can i use marijuanna at my dorm room? Is it a private area like home?
Hi Naz; whether you can smoke in your dorm rooom or not depends on the rules set by whomever owns the dorm. So it’s hard to say, but you can certainly smoke in the clubs! All you need to do is email me the day prior to your arrival in Barcelona at russ@marijuanagames.org and I will make the necessary arrangements then. Peace -Russ
Hi Ross,
I’ll be visiting spain from canada at the end of may. Would it be possible for me to get a membership? Please let me know if i can email you to get some more information!
Thank you
Hi Moral; sure, I will be happy to assist you. All you need to do is email me the day prior to your arrival in Barcelona at russ@marijuanagames.org. Until then, take care. peace -Russ
Hi Ross, im wondering if there are any Cannabis clubs in Valencia, Spain that you can recommend im planning to go there in December.
Thanks! 🙂
Hi Tammy; I can’t think of any off the top of my head, but if there are any you can find them in our marijuana directory located here: https://marijuanagames.org/marijuana-directory/ Peace -Russ
Hi Ross, i’ll be in barcelona in the middle of june. My hotel is at Carrer de Sancho de Ávila, 22
08018 Barcelona, Spain, i think the neighborhood called Sant marti. Can you recommand me some shops near that area?
Hi Lurenz; the only shops I can recommend are the ones I have reviewed: https://marijuanagames.org/category/cannabis-club-reviews/
Hello Russ !
Do you know clubs in llorent de mar ? Or near that village ?
Hey Jack; sorry, I don’t know of any in that area off the top of my head. However, you can check our directory and maybe you’ll find something: https://marijuanagames.org/marijuana-directory/
Great article! I will be sending you an email in a few days time. I will arrive to Barcelona next monday. I will be staying in Arco de Santa Eulalia 1. I know one club nearby but I was wondering if you could recommend some other clubs too. I’ll get back to you soon.
Keep up the good work!
Hi MrGreen; the best thing to do is check the club reviews section of the site here: https://marijuanagames.org/category/cannabis-club-reviews/
Hi Russ,
I’m from UK and own some land near Barcelona, I’m currently building a home there and seriously considering opening a cannabis club in the city. Do you have any advice for someone wishing to start a club legally and safely within Barcelona. I’m a highly expierenced grower of over 10 years and would love to put my experience into producing quality weed in a friendly club for everyone to enjoy. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Paul; there is new legislation/regulation coming to the cannabis club scene in Barcelona. These regulations will likely pass in late May or sometime in June, and it’s difficult to say what exactly they will be comprised of. Therefore, I really can’t provide any advice at this time except to wait and see what happens with the new regulations… Peace -Russ
I’m also from the uk and recently deciding wether or not to head out to Barcelona to set one up myself, please get in contact if you decide to go through with it
Hi Russ,
I am currently in Barcelona, how would I become a member?
Thanks,
Patrick
Hi Patrick; no problem; just send me an email at russ@marijuanagames.org and tell me when you want to go and I will make the arrangements. peace
Hello Russ, i will be going to Sevilla for the feria, do you know any clubs in Sevilla? help would be greatly appreciated as i dont feel safe taking it from amsterdam on the plane…
Hi Joppes; I don’t know of any clubs personally, but you can check the directory on my site to find out if there are any clubs and how to contact them: https://marijuanagames.org/marijuana-directory/ Also, I hear often about people that freely take cannabis from Amsterdam to Barcelona without any problems, primarily because both regions have liberal marijuana laws. I’ve never done it so I can’t vouch for the practice, but as I said many people do it without any problems. Just make sure you don’t have a layover or transfer in a non-420-friendly country. Good luck and hit me up if you find yourself in BCN! Peace ~Russ
Dear Russ, we will come at 16. April and we will stay for 6 days in barcelona. We´ll have a residence in barri Gotic. Do you have an idea where there is a nice club in the near and can you help me to come in?
best regards kathrin
Hi Kathrin; Yes, there are several clubs in the area, and I will be happy to sponsor you for membership at one when you arrive in Barcelona. Just check your email for more details. Peace ~Russ
Hi Russ: great article! I”ll be arriving to Bcn this coming Thurs. Apr. 17 w/ my wife. We”d like to check out a nice easy going club, if possible the Green Age which you recomended. thanks. Take care man!
Hello again Guy; yes, I will be happy to assist you with membership. Check your email for more details. Peace ~Russ
Hey man, great article. Appreciate the thoroughness.
I am in Barcelona the first 2 weeks of June and I am looking on locking up a spot to grab some weed.
Any advice? Places you can direct me? Thanks in advance, I left my email.
Hi Matt; No problem; just send me an email at russ@marijuanagames.org the day before you arrive in Barcelona and I will make the necessary arrangements for you to join a club. Until then, take care. Peace ~Russ
Hi I’m in Barcelona for one more day where do you recommend to go?
Hi B; well it depends on your age and personal tastes, but I have some favorites that I can recommend. Check your email for more details. Peace ~Russ
Hi Russ, I would like to set up my own cannabis club in Barcelona but have no idea of how to go about it. Any information would be great!! Thanks, Dan
Hi Dan; new legislation and regulations for cannabis are coming to Barcelona in a month, so I can’t really give you any good advice until it passes or fails. Keep your eye on the news and hit me up again in June. peace -Russ
Hi Russ,
I’m going to be coming out to Spain in July and would like to know how to obtain a membership/licence to start growing out there!
Many thanks
Hi Simon; new legislation and regulations for cannabis are coming to Barcelona in a month, so I can’t really give you any good advice until it passes or fails. Keep your eye on the news and hit me up again in July. peace -Russ
Hi Russ, i’m going to Barcelona in 2 weeks time any chance of any help please mate… thanks!
Hi Joely; Of course, I will be happy to assist you. Just send me an email at russ@marijuanagames.org the day before your arrival in Barcelona and I will make sure you’re sorted. peace -Russ
Hi Russ: your article is very helpfull. I’ve been smoking for 37 yrs. now -but never in Barcelona.As you mentioned – can you help me become a member in a nice, mellow club? I’ll be staying at Av.Diagonal +Carrer de Lepant. So if there’s a cool club around that would be great! Thanks +have agood one.
Hey Guy; thanks for your comment. I will be happy to help. Are you in Barcelona now? Check your email for more details. peace -Russ
Thank you much appreciated i will be in touch
Russ am in barcalona next month could you help me with a club membership please dude. Will be much approciated ofaqqrgyla
Hi Sankao; No problem. Just send an email to me at russ@marijuanagames.org the day prior to your arrival and I will be happy to assist you. Peace ~Russ
hi Russ!!! what u wrote is great! it would be awesome if u could help me and my friend in our first trip in cannabis social club, especially something near to “Kabul hostel”. Ur favourite, green age, is far away from that hostel? thx thx thx 😉
Andre.
Hi Andre; sure, I will be happy to help you. Are you in the city now? Just tell me when you would like to go and I will make the necessary arrangements. Peace ~Russ
Hi, mate heading over at the start of May and was wondering if could get some help and info in joining 1 maybe 2 different clubs. Head RDM is really good but apart from that don’t know much really. Staying just off la rambla. Thanks in advance
Hi Dean; thanks for checking out my site! My favorite club in Barcelona is Green Age and I strongly recommend it. You can read about this club here: https://marijuanagames.org/barcelona-cannabis-club-review-green-age/ There are some other good ones too. My suggestion is to simply email me the day before you arrive in Barcelona and I will be happy to assist you. Until then, take care. Peace ~Russ
Thanks russ, will be in touch
Russ,
Just wanted to check if you received the email I just sent.
Hi John; I sure did, and I responded just a few minutes ago. I’ll talk with you more there. 😉
Hey Russ,
Thanks for the info. Anyway I’ll be in Barcelona from 3/4-5/4… where should I sign up?
Hi Sam; personally, I think Green Age is the best club in the city- you can read about it here: https://marijuanagames.org/barcelona-cannabis-club-review-green-age/. Just send me an email the day before you arrive in Barcelona and I will be happy to assist you. Peace ~Russ
Hi, I’m Carole from UK and staying near les rambles, only here til Sunday. Any chance you could get me an introduction for a club nearby? Help much appreciated.
Hi Carole; sure thing; check your email. 😉