Discover the coffeeshop culture in Barcelona: the cannabis clubs
In the coffee shops of Barcelona is where cannabis consumers gather to stock up and enjoy their favorite plants. These establishments operate as legal marijuana dispensaries. Barcelona is one of the cities in Spain with more tradition of coffee shops dedicated to cannabis for quite some time, but the truth is that this is a fairly widespread fashion throughout the country.
What is a coffee shop?
The term coffee shop originated in the city of Amsterdam, the marijuana capital of Europe and the place that has always had a certain reputation for being cannabis-friendly. In Amsterdam alone there are more than 150 coffee shops.
Why are they called coffee shops?
The term coffee shop emerged in this Dutch city, with the first establishment dedicated to dispensing marijuana, the Mellow Yellow (unfortunately closed in 2017).
It is worth mentioning that, for some, the first coffee shop was Cleo de Merode’s tea house, owned by the great Mila Jansen, also known as The Hash Queen.
You may wonder why they are called that, if it is irrelevant that they sell coffee. Well, that first coffee shop in history was like a cafeteria in the premises of an old bakery, and in it you could drink coffee. It is said that it was always full of merchants disguised as customers. From 1972 this coffee shop, as well as many others, began to sell hashish and marijuana clandestinely, which was the beginning of a whole trend.
Over the years, although the business has been regularized, the name “coffee shop” has been assumed for the establishment that dispenses marijuana. Nowadays, Dutch coffeeshops are authentic coffee shops where you can have a tea, a coffee or a refreshing drink, but they also have an extensive menu of joints, cookies and marijuana cakes. They are usually places for relaxation and enjoyment, with good music, and some with video consoles, pool tables, table tennis, etc.
Are there coffee shops in Barcelona?
Don’t make the mistake of searching Google maps for “coffee shop” in Barcelona to buy marijuana: you will end up in any pompous coffee shop where you can have a chocolate with churros. In Barcelona, coffee shops do not exist as we know them in Amsterdam. Establishments authorized to legally purchase marijuana are called cannabis clubs or cannabis clubs.
Differences between coffee shop and cannabis club
Unlike the Dutch example, in Barcelona, the places where you can legally buy marijuana are not free access stores like those in Amsterdam. In Barcelona they are cannabis associations, cannabis clubs or cannabis clubs: private establishments where marijuana is sold and consumed legally.
In Barcelona there are no coffee shops as we know them in Amsterdam. What there are are cannabis associations, which are private and discreet establishments, with entry restricted to members, where marijuana can be purchased legally, either for recreational or medicinal use.
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Legally, cannabis clubs are for members only, and customers register as members to purchase limited and controlled amounts of THC-laced marijuana or hashish.
Discovering cannabis clubs in Barcelona is no easy task: they are discreet and somewhat hidden, they cannot be advertised and cannot be accessed without invitation. Once inside, you have to wait about 15 minutes to avoid crowds in the vicinity and to keep the place discreet.
How do the coffee shops or cannabis clubs in Barcelona work?
Much like a coffee shop, Barcelona’s cannabis clubs offer drinks, such as coffee, tea and smoothies, as well as a variety of weed to smoke on the premises, or to take away and smoke at home. You will also find a comfortable and cozy atmosphere where you can sit and enjoy a drink, read or chat with friends.
Some coffee shops may also offer additional services, such as free Wi-Fi and board games, to help make your visit more enjoyable. The truth is that many function as a social club where people with similar interests meet and seek a haven of peace and tranquility to enjoy cannabis in any of its forms.
Article: How Coffee Shops work in Madrid
Legality of marijuana for recreational use and CBD in Barcelona
If you are planning a trip to Barcelona, knowing Spain’s legal stance on marijuana can help you enjoy your stay and avoid possible fines. Barcelona has a relatively relaxed attitude towards cannabis use. It is not uncommon to see someone smoking a joint in public places, but always discreetly. If you are in a very central area of the city, undercover police can fine you and seize your equipment.
In general, smoking joints is not allowed in cafes and stores, nor on public transportation. However, recreational marijuana consumption is decriminalized if it is consumed at home or in a private cannabis club, where smoking weed among members is allowed.
In relation to whether it is legal to carry CBD flowers on the street, there is a legal loophole regarding the matter, because, by definition, they are not drugs (they do not contain THC), although there are many people who don’t travel with CBD .
Please note that possession of up to 50 grams of cannabis may be subject to a fine, and anything in excess of this amount will constitute an offense associated with drug trafficking.
Cannabis clubs legal framework
Cannabis associations find themselves in a controversial legal environment. Article 368 of the Spanish Penal Code punishes those who cultivate, produce and traffic psychotropic substances such as marijuana. In other words, the law punishes the consumption or possession of cannabis in cases of risk to public health, such as drug trafficking. On the other hand, Article 36 of the Public Safety Law (known as the gag law) establishes that illicit consumption or possession, even if not intended for traffic, in places, roads, public places or public transport, may constitute an administrative fine. In relation to personal use and self-cultivation of cannabis in private places, there are usually no legal consequences. At most, an administrative sanction, if the self-consumption is carried out in public spaces.
Coffee shop tourism
Returning to the case of Amsterdam, the Dutch city has long been fighting against tourist overcrowding by limiting the access of non-resident visitors to its famous cannabis coffeeshops. The city council has unveiled a plan aimed at reducing the pressure of mass tourism to buy marijuana and ensuring that local residents have priority when it comes to enjoying the coffeeshop culture.
But the situation has changed with the arrival of CBD and legal CBD marijuana. There are now many more options for cannabis coffeeshop tourism. throughout Europe, and Barcelona is no exception. CBD marijuana opens to the public fabulous and totally legal options to enjoy cannabis in a safe and relaxed environment.
CBD and legal marijuana is bringing about a revolution
The context is favorable and the product has improved. It is no longer necessary to be a member of a cannabis association to obtain buds of grass, but you can buy them in a multitude of establishments in a comfortable and totally legal way. Recreational marijuana users are in luck!
CBD flowers are totally legal and their aroma has nothing to envy to marijuana buds.
In Barcelona, you can buy CBD flowers legally in specialized CBD stores and tobacconists, distributed throughout the city. Travel and let yourself be carried away by the aromas of CBD cannabis while you stroll quietly through the city of Barcelona, or enjoy the atmosphere of the Barcelona nightlife.
Buying CBD marijuana in Barcelona: the best option for tourists
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We are only 20 minutes from Barcelona Airport, and 5 minutes from Sants Station. If you are visiting Barcelona and want to get some good stuff for your vacations, we have a whole selection of CBD flowers, CBD hashish, CBD oils, CBD vape and CBD vape liquids, as well as all kinds of accessories.
The CBD store is located in the heart of the Sants district of Barcelona, and in one of the most central places, with a young atmosphere and a multitude of popular bars and restaurants, stores of all kinds, shopping malls, cinemas, museums … Close to tourist spots and with numerous activities. You also have almost all public transportation lines and direct connection to practically the entire city.