Plain-language summaries, not legal advice. Check the official source linked on each rule.
Possession
Private use decriminalized
Consumption and possession of cannabis in private spaces are not criminal offenses in Spain. Public consumption or possession is an administrative infraction carrying fines starting at several hundred euros under the public-security law. There is no legal quantity threshold — the context (private vs public) is decisive.
Retail Sale
Sale prohibited; clubs grey zone
Commercial sale of cannabis is illegal in Spain. Cannabis social clubs operate in a grey zone under association law, mainly in Catalonia and the Basque Country, distributing to members under the shared-consumption doctrine; court rulings have progressively narrowed their room to operate. Tourist-oriented clubs in cities like Barcelona are not legal dispensaries.
Homegrow
Private cultivation tolerated
Cultivation for personal use in private spaces is generally tolerated as long as plants are not visible from public areas. Visible plants can trigger administrative fines, and larger grows risk criminal charges for trafficking. Selling any homegrown product is a crime.
Medical
No general medical cannabis program
Spain has no general medical cannabis program. Only specific cannabis-based medicines (such as Sativex and Epidyolex) are authorized, dispensed under strict AEMPS oversight. Patient access outside these medicines happens informally through social clubs or the illicit market. A limited framework for hospital compounding has been discussed but is not broadly operational.
Social Clubs
Cannabis social clubs (private associations)
Cannabis social clubs in Spain operate as private, non-profit associations under the constitutional right of association and Supreme Court doctrine. They are tolerated only as fully closed circuits: pre-existing members, no walk-ins, no promotion, and distribution limited to members' personal consumption. Clubs that grow beyond a small closed group, admit tourists, or sell to non-members have been convicted as drug trafficking. Membership registries must be handled confidentially — the model depends on privacy.
Advertising
Advertising and public promotion prohibited
Any public advertising or promotion of cannabis or cannabis associations is prohibited in Spain. Publicly listing a club, publishing its address, or running acquisition marketing exposes it to closure and trafficking charges — discretion is a legal requirement, not a preference. Online directories and promotional campaigns for clubs carry the same risk for the operator.