A plain definition
You will see several names for the same thing: cannabis club, cannabis social club, cannabis association, or in Spanish club cannábico and asociación cannábica. All describe a model that emerged in Spain: adults who form an association under Organic Law 1/2002 on the Right of Association and share a private space.
What defines a club is not cannabis but three features: it is private (members only), non-profit (not a business) and adults only (never minors).
How it works inside
Each association sets its own rules, but a properly run club usually has:
- Statutes and a board, like any association: a president, secretary and treasurer.
- A members' register recording who belongs to the association.
- Membership fees covering the association's costs (premises, upkeep, staff). They are not sale prices.
- Controlled access: ID at the door, and only registered members inside.
- House rules: opening hours, behaviour, and a ban on taking anything out or consuming at the door.
Inside, most feel more like a social club than anything else: sofas, music, board games or pool, and places to talk. You can see ours in the gallery.
How membership works
This is the biggest difference from what many visitors imagine: you cannot simply walk in. The usual process involves:
- An invitation or referral: an existing member vouches for you, or you apply in advance.
- Legal age: 18 at minimum; some clubs require 21.
- Identification: a valid passport or national ID, which is checked.
- Formal registration: you sign a membership application and accept the association's rules.
Some associations also apply a waiting period between applying and a first visit. In our case you apply in advance, we reply within 48 hours, and ID is checked again at every visit.
What a cannabis club is not
| A cannabis club is not… | Because… |
|---|---|
| A shop | It doesn't sell to the public or display prices |
| A coffee shop | They don't exist in Spain; that's a different Dutch model |
| An open bar | Only registered members get in |
| A licence to smoke in the street | Outside the premises, fines start at €601 |
| Legal "because it's registered" | Registration is only for publicity; it doesn't authorise the activity |
How to recognise a legitimate club
| Legitimate club | Warning sign |
|---|---|
| Asks for ID and checks your age | Lets you in without looking at any ID |
| Requires membership before entry | Offers to let you in "right now", no process |
| Publishes no prices or products | Advertises prices or product photos on social media |
| Doesn't recruit people in the street | People handing out cards or touting in tourist areas |
| Reminds you not to consume outside | Doesn't care what you do when you leave |
Beware of touts. In tourist areas of big cities, people offer to take you to a club or sell in the street claiming to work for one. No serious association operates that way. At best it's a scam; at worst you risk a fine or something more serious.
Is a cannabis club legal?
The short answer is that no law legalises them. They exist under the right of association and because private consumption between adults is not a crime, but supplying cannabis to others can be, and Spain's Supreme Court has made that clear. We explain it law by law in Cannabis association laws in Spain.
Cannabis clubs in Madrid
Madrid does have cannabis associations, but you won't find them through street signs or an official directory: discretion is part of the model. The right way to access one is through its own admission process, never through someone who approaches you in the street.
Our club is in Chamberí. If you're visiting, our tourist guide explains how access works.