The City Council in Barcelona wants to tighten regulations on accessing the cannabis social clubs across the city, as they are no longer serving their main purpose but rather encountering abuse from those seeking a legal way to consume cannabis.
Cannabis use in Spain remains illegal, but the concept of cannabis social clubs draws locals and tourists to Barcelona very frequently.
The City Council, in collaboration with the municipal police force for Barcelona, the Guardia Urbana, has launched a renewed inspection campaign, which targets some 20 cannabis social clubs.
In a plenary session last month, Albert Batlle, the deputy mayor known for his objection to cannabis, made known that his team is determined to bring these associations to an end.
According to the councillor, there were increasing inspections to close these functions potentially, but he also recognised the difficulty of completely abolishing them, implying that a change in laws is necessary.
ElDario.es reports that the recent inspections were more focused on determining if cannabis use is being permitted or encouraged at these venues. Barcelona also wanted to close these clubs back in 2014 but decided not to go through with it due to “The Green Rose Regulation”, which regulated these establishments’ operations of cannabis use. However, the Spanish Supreme Court overthrew the legislation in 2021.
Legal protection for cannabis social clubs in the city was initially removed, leading operators to exploit a loophole by switching from a municipal cannabis club license to a more general “private social club” license.
Now, the city council is set to be more stringent, indicating a potential crackdown on cannabis social clubs and raising concerns about restricted access or even closures.
Despite cannabis being illegal in Spain, cannabis social clubs continue operating, allowing members to grow and use cannabis privately. In cities like Barcelona, locals and tourists can join these clubs by paying a membership fee for access to cannabis and social spaces.
Spain’s cannabis social club system, serving over 4 million users, attracts an estimated annual tourism audience of 6.6 to 12.4 million consumers. The clubs, particularly in Barcelona, vary in size, with memberships ranging from around 3,000 to as many as 50,000 members for the largest ones. However, due to tourists frequenting clubs occasionally, the actual membership may be lower.
The success of Spain’s cannabis social clubs has influenced other European countries. Malta, the first EU member to legalise personal cannabis use in December 2021, has incorporated access to such social clubs. Germany, expected to legalise cannabis soon, plans to include the establishment of cannabis social clubs in its legislation.
As these countries open up to cannabis use, destinations that have historically been tied to the image of ‘wild fun’ are looking into becoming more conservative. Amsterdam is one of the destinations where cannabis use is very common, but authorities in this city aim to limit its use in order to encourage respectable tourism.
