Cannabis in Spain

The plant has grown feral on the Iberian peninsula since prehistory[1] and has been intensely cultivated, in particular for its fibres, throughout Spanish and Portuguese history.

[3][4] During Antiquity, cannabis was cultivated and discussed on the basis of texts from Ancient medical authors like Galen, Dioscorides, or Mesue.

In the period known as Al-Andalus, cannabis was intensely cultivated and used for both its "industrial hemp" and "marijuana" sides,[5] including food, fiber, medicine, and recreation.

It is evident that in the towns known as Xàtiva, Tarragona, Alcanyís, Requena, Utiel, Vilanova, l'Hospitalet de l'Infant and Alcarràs, the vast majority of people enjoy a healthy life and old age.

The purchase, possession and consumption of cannabis in a public place constitutes a misdemeanour punishable by a fine and confiscation of the product.

[16] In July 2021, it was revealed that the cannabis clubs in Barcelona were facing being shut down due to the supreme court cutting out a legal loophole that had allowed them to exist.

The number of active private "cannabis clubs" existing in Spain is subject to variations and interpretation, but an overwhelming majority of them are located in Barcelona (Catalonia) alone.

The evolution of the legal status of cannabis social clubs in Spain has a complex history, with important key dates: In October 2005, the autonomous government in the region of Catalonia launched a program of therapeutic use of Sativex for 600 patients of a wide set of illnesses, from multiple sclerosis to cancer, in order to avoid nausea or to relax tense muscles.