The aval: why almost every club asks someone to vouch for you
The aval is the introduction of a candidate by someone who already belongs to the association and vouches for them. What it involves, why almost every club requires it and how to tell a real aval from one that is sold.
August 3, 2026
The aval (the sponsorship or vouching of a candidate) is the introduction of a candidate by someone who already belongs to the association and who vouches to it that this person is an adult, a consumer and not a stranger to the group. Almost all Spanish cannabis associations ask for one, because the narrow margin they operate in depends on staying a closed and verifiable circle rather than premises open to the public. It is not an administrative formality that can be bought: when someone sells one, what they are really selling is a risk.
What the aval is and where the requirement comes from
In practice, the aval means that a member of some standing tells the board that they personally know the person who wants to join, and signs that introduction on the membership application. Statutes call it different things — introduction, sponsorship, invitation, reference — but the mechanism is the same: entry is not opened by a form, it is opened by a person already inside who puts their name to it.
The requirement does not come from a rule that literally says an aval is needed. It comes from how the courts have drawn the line between shared consumption among adults still being private conduct and its becoming a spread of the substance to third parties. The criteria that recur in that doctrine — a small and defined group, prior and known consumers, no indiscriminate access, consumption in an enclosed space — can only be evidenced if someone identifies and vouches for each new arrival. Without that filter, the association cannot maintain that its circuit is closed.
This is not legal advice
This text is informational and describes common practices and general criteria, not anyone's specific situation. The subject depends on case law applied case by case, and what each association does is set out in its own statutes. Access to these entities is restricted to people of legal age; for a particular situation, the sensible course is to consult a legal professional.
That is why the aval is not a whim of the board: it is the piece that makes it possible to document who joins, on whose word and since when. You can read how this step fits into the rest of the procedure in the guide on how to become a member of an association.
One arrangement under different names
If one club talks about an "invitation" and another about an "introduction" or a "sponsor", it is worth reading the statutes before assuming they are different things. What matters is not the word, but who signs, what they declare and what that signature entails.
What the person who vouches takes on
The term needs pinning down from the outset: here aval is used in its colloquial sense. It is not a bank guarantee, it is not a surety and it does not make anyone financially liable for someone else's fees. It is an internal commitment, and its effects are almost always resolved within the association's own disciplinary rules.
Whoever vouches declares that they personally know the candidate and that this is an adult consumer. If that declaration turns out to be false, the board may also review their own standing as a member.
Every new arrival affects the whole group. Some statutes provide that, if the person vouched for breaches the internal rules, the conduct of whoever introduced them is assessed too.
It is not a guarantee of admission, nor a contract with third parties, nor a document with any effect outside the club. The decision to admit remains entirely with the association.
From this follows a practical consequence that surprises many people: a member can refuse to vouch for someone without giving reasons, and it is perfectly reasonable for them to do so. They are putting their own place in the group on the line, not doing an administrative favour.
Why it is not a commercial transaction
The moment an aval is bought, it stops performing the only function it has. A paid introduction does not evidence prior acquaintance: it evidences a transaction between strangers. The association that accepts it loses precisely what it needed to demonstrate — that its members are not people picked up at random — and the person paying joins with a false record in their name in the register of members.
There is a second, less obvious problem. Whoever charges for vouching is not part of the body that decides on admissions. They can take the money and disappear, they can introduce someone the board later rejects, or they may have no real connection with the club they are talking about. Money handed over in that circuit is not recovered and there is no reasonable route for a complaint.
Paying for an aval creates no right
No sum handed to a middleman obliges an association to admit anyone. If the board later finds that the introduction was bought, it can cancel the membership, and whoever signed the false aval puts their own membership at risk.
Clubs that loosen it, and on what terms
Not every association applies the aval the same way. In cities with a high number of entities — Barcelona and Madrid among them — very different criteria can coexist between clubs a few streets apart. Some associations replace or supplement the aval with other routes that pursue the same aim: checking that whoever comes in is not just any stranger. None of these routes is a right or a shortcut; they are internal procedures the association applies when and how it chooses.
A face-to-face conversation with someone from the board, in which the internal rules are explained and it is checked that the person was already a consumer before applying.
Proof of belonging to another association, sometimes through federations. In some clubs that proof stands in for the individual aval.
Some associations accept applications without an aval, but put them through a markedly longer period of waiting and assessment before deciding.
Some clubs ask for proof of residence or local ties, precisely to reduce the flow of applications from people passing through and to keep the group stable.
Loosening the aval means changing the method of checking, not removing it. An association that checks nothing has given up its own cover, and that ends up affecting every member, not only the last one to join.
Avales for sale: how to spot the fraud
The bought aval shows up above all in tourist areas and works by being approached in the street or through instant messaging. What separates it from a real aval is not the price: it is who does it, where it happens and what becomes of your data.
| Aspect | Real aval | Aval for sale |
|---|---|---|
| Who signs it | A member who knows you personally and is still in the association | A middleman who does not know you and often is not a member either |
| Where the contact starts | In your own circle: someone you already have a relationship with | In the street, in a chat or through an advert aimed at visitors |
| What is paid | Nothing for the introduction; afterwards, the fee set by the assembly | A sum to the middleman, entirely unconnected to the association |
| What is promised | That your application reaches the board | Immediate access, "no paperwork" or "guaranteed" |
| Your data | Goes into the association's register of members, subject to data protection rules | Passes first through a third party with no obligation towards you |
| If you are turned down | You can ask the association and try again later | There is nobody to complain to and the money does not come back |
The most reliable sign is the promise. A real member cannot guarantee you membership, because it is not their decision; a seller of avales does guarantee it, because their income depends on your saying yes. The other indications — being rushed, cash payment, insistence that you not call the club, photographs of your identity document sent by chat — are described in more detail in the pieces on the risks of street touts and on the signs that a club does not comply.
Which associations there are in each city
Before looking for someone who could introduce you, it usually helps to see which associations appear in the directory for your city and how they describe their requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Is the aval required by law?
There is no rule imposing it under that name. It is an internal practice associations adopt in order to be able to evidence the criteria case law demands of a closed circuit. Each entity regulates it in its statutes, so the detail changes from one club to another.
Can I join if I do not know anyone?
It depends on the association. Some accept other forms of introduction, such as an interview beforehand or proof of belonging to another entity; others do not accept applications without an aval. Nobody outside the club can tell you the outcome in advance.
What happens if the person who vouched for me leaves?
As a general rule membership does not depend on the sponsor staying in the club, but some statutes provide for reviews. It is one of the things worth reading before signing, along with the disciplinary rules.
Is there any point in paying for an aval?
It does not produce the effect it promises. Whoever charges does not decide on admission, and if the association discovers the introduction was bought it can cancel the membership. It also leaves your personal data in the hands of a middleman with no obligation towards you.
