Is Weed Legal in Spain? — 2025 Edition

Welcome to the 2025 update on Spain’s complex cannabis laws. We’ll explore the latest legal situation across the Spanish mainland, the Balearics, the Canaries — and whether weed is “legal,” “tolerated,” or totally prohibited.

Cannabis in Spain: A Complex Tapestry

Spain remains a patchwork when it comes to cannabis: certain uses are tolerated or decriminalised, while sale, commercial production, and public consumption remain prohibited.

• Private use and possession for personal use (out of public view) continue to be tolerated in most regions. Olive Press News Spain

• Sale, trafficking, and commercial cultivation remain strictly illegal nationwide. Euro Weekly News

• Public consumption or visible possession (smoking, carrying, visible plants) remains punishable under national law — fines or even criminal charges may apply. Olive Press News Spain

So while personal use and possession in private may fall into a “grey area,” the public-facing sale or distribution remains a firm “no.”

What’s Changed in 2025: Medical Cannabis is Now Regulated

The biggest development this year is official regulation of medical cannabis:

• On 7 October 2025, the government adopted a new Royal Decree 903/2025, allowing cannabis-based medical treatments under strict conditions. Euro Weekly News

• Only hospital specialists can prescribe medical cannabis — no over-the-counter access. IDPC

• Cannabis medicines must be standardised formulations (oils or extracts), prepared in hospital pharmacies, with regulated THC/CBD levels. Flower buds in their raw form remain prohibited. Euro Weekly News

• Approved therapeutic uses include conditions like refractory chronic pain, severe epilepsy, muscle spasticity (e.g. from multiple sclerosis), and some chemotherapy-related symptoms (e.g. nausea). Euro Weekly News

Important caveat: This regulation refers strictly to medical use. It does not legalise recreational cannabis, social-club sharing, or home cultivation for medical purposes. Euro Weekly News

Recreational Use, Social Clubs & Home Cultivation — Still in the Grey

Despite progress on the medical front, for recreational cannabis the situation remains much the same:

• Recreational cannabis is not legal. Sale, trafficking, import/export — all illegal. Forbes

• Cannabis social clubs (CSCs) and “collective consumption” remain a legal gray zone. In practice, many clubs operate under local tolerance — but they’re not explicitly legalized under national law. Olive Press News Spain

• Home cultivation is tolerated in some cases for private use — provided plants are grown out of public view, not sold, and the cultivation remains truly personal. Olive Press News Spain

• But because laws are unevenly enforced across Spain’s 17 autonomous communities, experiences vary widely depending on region and local authorities.

In short: many people still live in the “tolerated but not legalised” zone.

What This Means for Residents, Tourists & Social Clubs

• Residents interested in medical cannabis now have a legal path — but only under strict conditions (hospital-only prescriptions, standardised meds, specific illnesses).

• People looking to use or grow for personal/recreational reasons remain exposed to risk: public consumption or visible plants can lead to fines or legal trouble.

• Social-club operators / CSCs — the 2025 medical law doesn’t legitimise recreational club-based consumption; tolerance remains local and conditional.

• Tourists should be very cautious — laws are unpredictable, and many clubs require local residency or membership. Possession or use in public remains risky.