In Amsterdam, any ‘ol regular Joe can jump off their bicycle and walk into a coffeeshop with an identity card to purchase marijuana. If you’ve already gone that route and want to try something a bit more on the exclusive side then hop on the next budget airline flight from Amsterdam and head to Spain where social cannabis clubs are gaining popularity.
You can’t just walk into a Barcelona Social Cannabis Club
They are private and only open to new members with a referral from an existing member. So, essentially everyone in these clubs is connected with a mutual friend giving the feeling that you are always smoking with your mates around.
New members must be 18 or 21, depending on the club rules. You must also have a residential address in Spain, usually a hotel address won’t work. No mail is sent to this address and all information is confidential. Other information is asked for if you are claiming medicinal or recreational use, stating how much marijuana you use a month, and waivers must be signed.
Becoming a Member of a Social Cannabis Club
These clubs work very differently than a coffeeshop. Being a member requires you to pay your share of the costs to grow the cannabis which includes the grow space, supplies, utilities, among other things. Becoming a member of a social cannabis club means that you are part of an association that grows and distributes cannabis to its members. The marijuana that is grown belongs to all its members and isn’t sold as you are simply collecting your share of what was grown.
The cannabis laws in Spain are considerably more relaxed than many other places in the world. Spain’s constitution protects its citizens when it comes to what they do in their privacy. “The Spanish law says that personal behavior in a private place, and this includes private land and outbuildings, is protected by the constitution,” “The controversial issues are that police are allowed to determine if what you are doing is personal or if it is meant for distribution, which is illegal, they are also allowed to put a fine on you if your cannabis activities or possession are outside of your private domain.”
Fines are around 330 Euros to 600 euros
Under Spanish law cannabis use and possession for personal use isn’t a criminal offense. Nonetheless, you can be fined and penalized for public consumption. If a person is caught with less than 2 ounces of marijuana the fines are around 330 Euros to 600 euros. If a person is caught with more than 2 ounces or growing to sell then it is a criminal offense. However, prison terms in Spain are not as harsh as in the USA.
If you are already packing your bags and your castanets and heading to Spain make sure you know where the social cannabis club obtains its cannabis before joining. We’d like to think that most clubs grow their own, weed but for some, it’s not an option. Some clubs cannot afford the space, equipment, and services that are needed to grow great marijuana. They must resort to getting it another way. This could mean that they get it from other clubs or from, large growers in the countryside. Just make sure they don’t get their green from some random guy down the street.
Social Cannabis Clubs in Spain are Private
Since the social cannabis clubs in Spain are private they cannot advertise. You won’t see flyers hung up with social cannabis clubs beckoning you to join. If you do see someone handing out fliers on the street for a club then definitely don’t go to that one. It’s probably not legitimate and you’re surely going to get ripped off.
Because social cannabis clubs don’t advertise you may have to poke around a bit to see which one fulfills your needs. If you join one club and then find another one you like, don’t fret, most people have memberships to multiple clubs- the more the merrier, right? There are various types of clubs to suit your personality, or join many clubs to fit each of your multiple personalities. Some are fancy or themed while others seem dingy and simple. Whatever you are looking for I’m sure you will find it in Spain’s social cannabis clubs.
