5 Barcelona Cannabis Club Insider Secrets

It’s no secret that there is a thriving cannabis club scene in Barcelona. In the last 20 years the Catalan and Spanish law courts have created a situation where smoking cannabis in legitimate cannabis clubs is perfectly legal. However, you might not be aware of the unspoken secrets of these underground cannabis coffeeshops. What are the top 5 Barcelona cannabis club secrets? And what should you know before you visit a cannabis club? Here we’ll try to explain our top 5 insider secrets and give you the lowdown on the Barcelona cannabis club experience.

This is by no means a complete list and if you want to delve deeper into the laws and official rules of BCN cannabis clubs, then we recommend checking out some of our other articles. The laws on cannabis clubs in Catalonia live in a grey area. It’s our advice that you should educate yourself if you want to get the most out of the experience and stay safe. There’s no reason why a trip to a Barcelona cannabis club should end in anything but red-eyes and serious case of the munchies!

Five Barcelona insider secrets:


  1. You can apply for an invitation online

  2. If you can prove you live in Spain – you get cheaper weed

  3. Every club has free rizla and roach paper

  4. Some BCN cannabis clubs have DJs & Live Performances

  5. You can take in whatever food and drink you want

1. You can apply for an invitation online

One of the biggest open-secrets is that you can Apply for an invitation to a cannabis club online. Typically, most BCN weed cafes have websites and social media pages. This means that you can apply for an invitation and an existing member will invite you to join. There are some cannabis clubs in BCN that won’t have websites and that won’t invite members. Some clubs want to remain an exclusive place where only friends of friends can join. However, these clubs are not the ones for you anyway. There are a huge number of clubs in Barcelona that do want new members and are focused on creating an international experience in one of the world’s best cities. They still need to stay within the law, so the process must work in a certain way, but it’s very easy to request an invite.

A major thing to note is that you should do your research on Barcelona cannabis clubs. All clubs charge a membership fee and it can be annoying to pay out for the fee, only to realise you don’t like the club. Do you research, read reviews and check out the social media pages. If a club has nothing but bad reviews, then find another one. There are plenty all over the city, so you can also be picky about location. If it looks good, but is miles away from your hotel, keep searching until you find a good-looking club that is closer. No one likes a ten mile walk when they are super-baked!

2. If you can prove you live in Spain - you get cheaper weed

Many Barcelona cannabis clubs are aware that it’s a booming tourist industry, so they can charge more for weed. If you live in BCN or have a permanent address available to you, many clubs will give you better deals. If you have a Spanish NIA (the equivalent to a national insurance and tax number) then this will also prove your eligibility as a local. If you sign up with a local address or NIA, you will be given a red keyring which contains your membership details. This can be scanned at the dispensary desk and the club will give you a discount. For most BCN cannabis clubs this is usually around 30%, which can make a huge difference on the cost of some strains.

For many tourists visiting Barcelona social clubs this won’t be possible, but if you have a friend who lives there, then you may be able to use their address. It really depends on the club and what they require as proof. If you are living or working in Spain for any amount of time, then it’s worth investigating this avenue of opportunity as it can lead to drastically cheaper prices in BCN cannabis clubs.

 

3. Every club has free rizla and roach paper

It’s only a small thing, but this is one of those surprises that makes a huge difference to how relaxing the Barcelona cannabis club scene is. Nearly all BCN coffeeshops have free rizla and roach paper by the dispensary counter. To the cannabis club it’s a small cost, but to a member it really takes the hassle out of smoking. Most clubs we’ve attended have OCBs and you can help yourself. No one is there worrying about how many rizla you are using, it is just part of the service the cannabis club provides to its members. Many clubs will also have a lighter in the same area – although this is usually attached with a bit of string. Everyone knows that a lighter will go missing if it isn’t tied down!

There are plenty of other little touches in a cannabis club that make life so much easier. Every table usually has a grinder, ashtray and a mixing bowl. It’s important to note the difference between the mixing bowl and the ashtray. Many first-timers will accidentally use the mixing bowl as the ashtray. Don’t be that person! It’s very common place in a Barcelona cannabis club to also find an array of different bongs and pipes to use. Ask at the dispensary counter and they will let you know what’s available. Some clubs will leave the bongs out, whereas some clubs want you to return them to the counter after use. It depends on the cannabis club and how they operate. Once you are a member they are usually very happy to chat about these items with you. If you are part of a good quality cannabis club, then the people manning the dispensary counter will always be happy to chat.

4. Some BCN cannabis clubs have DJs & Live Performances

This is a very well-kept secret as the number of BCN cannabis clubs that provide this type of entertainment is low. A lot of clubs are there just to provide a safe-space to smoke weed. Drawing too much attention to yourself as a cannabis club can be dangerous. It’s not unheard of for the police to raid a club and send the owners to jail. This is a serious concern for many BCN coffeeshops.

Some cannabis clubs are ideally located though and can provide live musical entertainment without too much trouble. Typically, we’ve found this won’t be on a Friday and Saturday night. Many of the DJ’s we’ve seen will appear on a Wednesday, Thursday or Sunday. This is obviously so the cannabis clubs don’t get overrun by drunk tourists being loud on the weekend. The clubs need to keep it lowkey so don’t be surprised if the DJs and bands are early in the week.

All Barcelona cannabis clubs will have music playing. Don’t think that without a DJ it will be quiet – it won’t. There’s always beats! Many clubs like to regulate their own music, but some will have tablets or phones, so the members can pick songs. Ask at the dispensary counter if you are not sure. If you are in a decent club then they won’t take offence at you asking and will probably be open to your suggestions.

5. You can take in whatever food and drink you want

Every Barcelona cannabis club has a vending machine with beers, chocolate and sweets. That’s standard across the board in BCN coffeeshops. This doesn’t mean that you can’t take in your own products from outside though. The primary function of a cannabis clubs is allowing its members to smoke cannabis in a safe environment. Don’t feel worried if you bring in your own beers or takeaway food. Most cannabis clubs won’t mind. This isn’t like a bar. It’s basically just a clubhouse where people can enjoy the cannabis provided. We’ve seen people eating full-on takeaway’s in BCN weed cafés and it’s not frowned upon.

One surprising thing about Barcelona coffeeshops that is a little different to their Amsterdam counterparts is that they don’t serve coffee. Some of them even have little signs above the counter that say ‘coffeeshop’. But they don’t serve coffee. The Dutch terminology has carried over into Barcelona cannabis culture though as a lot of people refer to them as coffeeshops or weed cafés.

You might be interested in the following

Best Barcelona Cannabis Club
Dos and Don’ts Etiquette in a Barcelona Cannabis Club

That’s our personal list of the top 5 Barcelona cannabis club insider secrets. However, there are plenty more great things to discover about the Barcelona cannabis club scene. We recommend doing you research and finding a club that suits you. We post reviews about our favourite cannabis clubs and we can also provide advice and information on how to acquire membership. If you have any questions or are unsure about whether a club is for you, then get in contact with us and we can help. The BCN weed café scene is full of interesting cannabis clubs and people, so don’t miss out on this exciting aspect of Barcelona life. The weed is good, and the smiles are many!

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