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Coffee Shops in Barcelona: How to Get Membership

Posted MG
Feature image for Barcelona Coffeeshops Article

Barcelona coffee shops are private by law; they are quite different from Amsterdam’s coffee shops or Denver’s dispensaries. I get several hundred emails each month from people asking questions about the coffee shops in Barcelona, and it’s obvious that there is a lot of misinformation out there. If you’re looking to get a membership at a coffee shop in Barcelona, it’s important that you understand that you will be held to a higher standard as a member than at a public dispensary or coffeeshop. Therefore, you should commit these study points to memory so that – if you do become a member of a Barcelona coffee shop – you’ll be a valuable new member and not just a selfish turd that only cares about getting high.

How to Join a Coffee Shop in Barcelona, Spain

Membership card for Sweet Dreams coffee shop Barcelona
This is the author’s membership card from the Sweet Dreams private cannabis club in Barcelona, Spain. You must have your membership card present every time you enter a weed club in Barcelona.

*Barcelona Coffee Shops Are Private – you cannot just walk in and join. You need to be sponsored by a current member of the club, and you need to complete an application with that sponsor present (in most cases), and pay a registration fee. Sometimes there is a review and approval process. Act like a disinterested tourist or a rowdy party boy and you’ll probably be rejected. Bye!

CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP NOW

(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, it is merely intended to properly direct the hundreds of unsolicited emails that I receive each week. Application for Barcelona cannabis club membership is general and is not necessarily applied to any particular club unless the applicant fully qualifies.)

*Coffee Shops in Barcelona Charge a Very Small Yearly Fee – usually around 25 to 50 Euro. If you don’t think that a few dozen Euro is worth it to have a beautiful, well appointed place to safely acquire and smoke some of the world’s best cannabis; to have a place to meet like-minded people without fear of persecution, and to have all of the benefits these clubs provide – game nights, pool tables, video games, weed tastings, free dinners, live music, free snacks, etc. – then you can pound sand up your ass and take your business back to the street.

Membership card for Green Age coffee shop in Barcelona Spain
The author’s membership card to the old Green Age club, which is still in operation as one of the oldest coffeeshops in Barcelona.

*Barcelona Coffee Shops Are Safe – Why do some of you write to me and ask me if the club I am considering sponsoring you at is safe? As if I am going to say; “No, it is a very dangerous club. You should not go to any coffee shops in Barcelona without being armed.” Of course they’re safe! All of the many coffee shops in Madrid, Barcelona, and anywhere else in Spain that I have been to are extremely safe and professional; just like nearly every other business you’ll enter in a day.

My wife is a dainty little thing and she’s as naive as a newborn titmouse, but I’d send her to any of the Barcelona cannabis clubs I frequent on her own, and wouldn’t think any more of it than if she had just left for the market.

Membership card for ABCDA coffee shop in Barcelona
This is the author’s membership card to ABCDA – one of the oldest coffeeshops in Barcelona. Now defunct, ABCDA produced some of the best marijuana in Barcelona, but eventually, police shut the club down permanently after raiding several grow operations based there.

*You Are Permitted to Take Up to 98 Grams From the Club Each Month, Maximum of 5 Grams Daily – You must reimburse the club for the marijuana products that you take. You are not buying anything. If you are a member, then you and everyone else shares the harvest and the expenses related to it. So when you go to a coffee shop in Barcelona, you are simply reimbursing the club’s treasury for your share of marijuana. You are not buying it. Remember this.

*Yes, You Can Take Weed Out of the Club – Everyone does. But keep this in mind: possession of marijuana in Barcelona is only permissible in private. You can use cannabis at home, or you can use it in the club. When you take marijuana products out of the clubs or coffee shops, you are at risk. If you are stopped by the authorities and they find your weed, they will take it and fine you. This is not a criminal offense, so don’t pee your pants. Instead, if you decide to take cannabis out of the club, place it in your undergarments and quickly take it home or to a private location. Don’t be the asshole that walks down La Rambla smoking a joint.

Membership card for Kush coffee shop in Barcelona
The author’s membership card for the infamous Kush cannabis club in Barcelona. Kush was closed repeatedly by authorities, but defiance on the part of the club’s management let it reopen year after year.

*You Will Need an Address in Spain and a Passport or NIE Card to Join a Coffee Shop in Barcelona – No, the club will not accept a photocopy, you must have the actual ID card present.  In most cases, you can use any valid passport, driver’s license, state or regional ID, visa with a photo, etc.  You must have this ID and your membership card present every time you enter a private coffee shop in Barcelona.

*If You Are Under 18, You Cannot Join – Sorry, it’s against the law. In fact, at many coffee shops, you cannot join if you are younger than 21 years old.  Each club has its own rules, but none can allow members who are under age 18.  In general, most cannabis clubs in Spain are reserved for members who are 21+.  This is especially true with cannabis clubs in Madrid, but Barcelona does have some 18+ clubs, so do your homework and ask about the age requirements  before you go through the process to attempt to join a coffeeshop in Barcelona.

Membership card for RDM coffee shop in Barcelona
The author’s membership card for RDM (Rincon de Maria) cannabis club in Barcelona. Years ago RDM was shut down by authorities for an extended period, but it has been open for 2 years now and is considered one of the strongest and most difficult-to-get-into coffeeshops in Barcelona.

*Most of Barcelona’s Coffee Shops Offer Medicinal-Grade Cured Flowers and at Least One or Two Concentrates or Value-Added Products like Hash, Wax, Shatter, Edibles, Oils, Candies, Creams, and so on – What each club offers changes approximately once every two weeks, and I don’t have time to keep track. So no, I cannot tell you what strains or products the club has available. I can only tell you that the clubs I am a member of always choose excellent, premium strains and produce some of the world’s best, freshest marijuana and other products.  Because product availability changes so often, it’s best to check with the club before you apply, and to understand that products can be sold out, discontinued, or unavailable at any time.

*You Can Join More Than One Coffee Shop in Barcelona – If you want, you can create an entire tour of coffee shops, provided you can get someone to sponsor you at each one.  Here are a few things to keep in mind about joining multiple cannabis social clubs in Barna (Barna is the nickname of Barcelona, not Barca.  Barca is the nickname for the city’s football [soccer] team);

*The process of joining one of Barcelona’s coffee shops generally requires anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes of your time.

*In most cases you can acquire and consume cannabis the same day you join.

Membership card for Jammin coffee shop in Barcelona
The author’s membership card to Jammin’ – a Rastafarian style Barcelona smoker’s club.

*Once you are a member, you cannot sponsor new members for a couple of weeks or more, depending on the club’s policies.

*If there is a large group of you visiting Barcelona, it is possible for all or most of your group to join and enjoy the club/s together. There is usually plenty of room, but if you have doubts, just send me an email and I will let you know.

*Finally, There Are No Such Things as Coffee Shops in Barcelona – They’re not called coffee shops at all!  No one here refers to the cannabis clubs in Barcelona as “coffeeshops,” except perhaps tourists who come from the Netherlands or the United Kingdom, where that is the term they have grown up with. All over Spain, these establishments are referred to as social clubs or associations. The only reason that I wrote this article using the terms “Barcelona coffee shop” and the like is because I noticed in my analytics and tracking software that the vast majority of people use Google to search for cannabis clubs in Barcelona using the term “coffee shops;” probably because that’s what most of the world has been hearing out of Amsterdam for the last forty years. So if you’re looking to become a member of a “coffee shop in Barcelona,” you should probably start by referring to these exceptional clubs by their proper terms:

Cannabis Club, Cannabis Association, Social Club, and, locally, Asociaciones de Cannabica.

You can also check out the following terrible video I made, which will give you a glimpse of what it’s like inside of Barcelona’s cannabis clubs:

[youtube id=”FbmDzoVrU50″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

Membership card for Smoke Green coffee shop in Barcelona
The author’s membership card to Smoke Green club in Barcelona.

 

Membership card for Alhambra coffeeshop in Barcelona
The author’s membership card to Alhambra, a Middle-Eastern style cannabis club in Barcelona that has been closed for several years now.

 

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.)

 

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156 thoughts on “Coffee Shops in Barcelona: How to Get Membership”

  1. Hey Russ, my boyfriend and me are in Barcelona till next Thursday. We have a room near of the Plaza Espana. I don’t understand how do I get sponsored by a current member? It is possible when I ask people in front of the club? Sorry I have no Idea 😀 Maybe you can say a club in the near of Plaza Espana. Thanks for your good website. Peace Lara

    Reply

  2. Hi Russ
    2 years ago thanks to you I got the membership for “Greenage” club.

    Since then I have not managed to arrive to Barcelona,I still get the Greenage’s newsletter, do I need to renew my memebrship again with your sponsorship when I arrive to Barcelona in a few weeks?

    Thank you,
    Meital.

    Reply

    1. Hola Meital; sorry mate, Green Age stopped accepting members and stopped renewing inactive members more than a year ago. However, I will be happy to sponsor you at a new club when you are in the city; just email me 24 hours prior to your arrival at russ@Marijuanagames.org. Peace -Russ

      Reply
  3. Pingback: Coffee Shops in Barcelona: How to Get Membership | Asociación de Fumadores Alternativos

    1. Hi Joanne; that depends on what type of city you like. Barcelona has the beach and is much smaller and easier to navigate, but Madrid has so much more to do and the people are friendlier. There are good clubs in both cities; just send me an email to russ@marijuanagames.org when you are in Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga or Torrevieja and I will be happy to help if you require sponsorship. Peace -Russ

      Reply

  5. hello
    me and my wife will be in next week in Barcelona. How I can be a member without facebook account?
    thanks for your answer.

    Reply

  6. Hi Russ,

    I’m visiting Barcelona tomorrow in Malgrat De Mar with my partner and wondered if there was any chance you could help me with a shop nearby? Would be much appreciated.

    Thanks,

    Jack

    Reply

  7. Hey, you say below “there are no residency requirements”, but on the main page you wrote “you will need an address in Spain and a passport.

    If I’m Italian and visiting with my Italian passport, how do I get an address in Spain and doesn’t it need to be linked to my passport?

    Reply

    1. Hola Marty; Residency is not required under the law in order to join a private cannabis club in Spain. However, you cannot use a hotel or hostel address to register; you must use a regular residential address in Spain. The address on your passport or ID does not have to be linked to the address you provide to the club for the inscription. Peace -Russ

      Reply

  8. I have a question. If I’m from italy is it possible to get membership of a club? I’ll be in Barcellona from the 4th april till the 8th.
    Thank you
    Greetings.

    Reply

  9. Hi Russ, I’m travelling to Barcelona in May with my three friends and I was wondering if You can help us to find good club near place we stay.

    Reply

  10. Hi Russ I was wondering if you would be able to advise me on getting membership to one of the clubs. I’m 34 yo male from England and me and my wife are having a holiday there in august I’m a long term smoker and grower but I suffer with depression and pain issues and don’t really want to risk bringing my own medicine with me for obvious reasons so just thought u might have sum suggestions on being able to join a club as I’m not a resident and don’t know anyone there thanks baz

    Reply

  12. Hola russ, viajaré a barcelona el 25 de este mes por unas semanas, podré hacerme miembro de algún club?
    Saludo grande desde argentina!

    Reply

  14. Hola Russ ! I’m traveling in 07.02.2016- 10.02.2016
    From Berlin ! And i want to buy and smoking! Can you help me? Thanks Again! Ps Almat

    Reply

  15. Hi Russ, I am traveling to Barcelona in June and would really like to get hold of some medicine considering I can’t bring mine with me. I know it’s early but i was just wondering whats the best /safest way to get hold of a membership as i will be lost without my medicine. Thank you. Lewis

    Reply

  16. Hi i would like to get a membership card my partner and i are coming on the 13th can you help us join thankyou

    Reply

  17. Hi Russ,

    Going to be in Barcelona in just over a week for my friends birthday, he’s recently recovered from an operation on his Liver and isn’t allowed to drink. Im a longtime time rectriational/medicinal smoker for IBS (helps with the stomach cramps) I was hoping you could help me

    Reply

  18. Hi, i’ll come un barcelona this week-end. Ans i would Like to be a new member in a csc. But i don’t know anyone. Can you help me please. Thanks you

    Reply

  19. hey im interested in becoming a member of a club in barcelona can you tell me more about the clubs.

    Reply

  22. Hola quisiera saber como podria asistir al local ya que acabo de llegar hoy a barcelona y estare 3 dias muchad gracias

    Reply

  25. im going to be in barcelona soon with my girlfriend, would you be able to refer me also have a friend who lives in spain for an address.
    thanks, joe

    Reply

  27. Hi Russ in 1 of the application terms it states you can not use hotel or hostel for an address? I am visiting Barcelona next week & wish to participate in relaxation can you help with my problem? peace

    Reply

  28. Hi Russ, great website! My first day in Barcelona, what a great city! Just sent you an email asking for help/advice. Look forward to your reply.

    Reply

  29. Hi Russ, I have arrived in Barcelona for my 21st birthday, I was wondering if you could advise me on how to get a membership to join a coffee shop? I have sent you an email, looking forward to your reply 🙂 x

    Reply

  30. Hello!

    I think its briiliant what you are doing! Its brilliant!
    I sent you an email for help! 🙂

    Reply

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