What is a cannabis club?

Definition: an association, not a shop

A cannabis association is set up like any other association: people come together voluntarily, approve a set of statutes, elect their bodies (a board and a members' assembly) and register with the corresponding register of associations. What sets it apart is not a legal form of its own, but the reason its members come together.

From that come its two defining traits: its private character —the activity is organised among people who are already members, not towards the general public— and the absence of profit motive, which requires members' contributions to sustain the activity of the association instead of being distributed as profit.

This page describes how these associations work in practice; it is not legal advice. The specific conditions depend on the statutes of each club and on the rules applicable at any given time and place.

What a cannabis club is NOT

Most misunderstandings come from comparing a club with models from other countries or with commercial establishments. A cannabis club is none of these things:

• It is not a coffeeshop: the Dutch model —premises where any adult walks in and buys— does not exist in Spain. There are no establishments open to the public for that here.
• It is not a shop or a dispensary: there is no sale to the public, no shop window and no product catalogue. That is why on Cannasys Maps you will not see product prices, menus or strains: we describe the space, the atmosphere and the membership conditions, nothing else.
• It is not a place with open access: being of legal age or travelling through the city gives no right of entry. Without being admitted as a member beforehand, you do not get in.
• It is not a health service: an association does not diagnose, does not prescribe and does not replace a health professional.
• It is not a guaranteed right: admission is a decision of each association and may be refused with nothing to appeal against.

What the membership fee is

The fee is the regular contribution made by a member of the association. Its amount and its frequency are set by the club's internal rules, and it serves to sustain the association's costs: premises, maintenance, administration and activities.

The fee is not a product price and does not buy anything: it is the contribution that corresponds to being a member. When a club gives us the figure, we show an indicative annual fee on its listing so that you can compare; the exact conditions are always confirmed by the club.

Nor is the fee a payment to Cannasys Maps. Searching for clubs, comparing them and contacting them from the directory is free, and we take no commission for it.

What the sponsorship is

Sponsorship (aval) is the introduction made by someone who is already a member and who vouches for the person who wants to join. It follows directly from the private and closed character of the association: new members join on the trust of those who already are, not through a commercial procedure.

Not every club applies it in the same way: some always require it, others are flexible depending on the case. What is a common warning sign is sponsorship that is sold, or someone approaching you in the street promising immediate entry in exchange for money. Cannasys Maps does not sell sponsorships, does not arrange them and cannot get you one.

How you join: admission is decided by the club

Each association sets its own requirements in its statutes, so there is no single procedure. Usually you are asked to be of legal age and to identify yourself, the application is submitted to the club, and membership is formalised only when the association accepts it, together with the signing of the internal documents.

A club appearing on Cannasys Maps does not mean that it is admitting members or that it will accept your application. We show the information and the contact channel; the decision, the timings and the conditions always belong to the club.

What “Verified” means

The “Verified” seal is ours and is not an official mark. It means that a representative of the club has claimed its listing and that our team has reviewed and approved two documents: the association's statutes and its entry in the Register of associations. The municipal licence is optional and does not determine the seal.

The association's documents have passed our review. The seal refers to the documents reviewed; it does not guarantee future club activity or replace visitors' own checks. Search text relevance and the selected city or searcher's city context apply first. Within that context, clubs with free approved document verification (APPROVED) precede the others. Within each verification group, an additive score totals up to 100 points: internal reviews adjusted for their number (25), handling membership request responses (20), a complete profile with description, photos, opening hours, logo, contact and membership information (20), complete manual translations in ES, EN, DE, FR and IT (15), published events with meaningful content, recent activity and translations (15), and continuous proximity when location is available (5). Translations are supplied manually without AI; copying the source text does not count. Upcoming events and recent regularity are assessed within 90-day windows and their contribution is capped: bulk publishing cannot raise the maximum. There is no bonus for a club's name, owner, subscription or CRM connection, and no guarantee of first positions or SEO results. The “Cannasys Verified” badge indicates that the club manages its membership in Cannasys App, a paid Cannasys service. The badge has no effect on catalogue order. A report alone does not change ranking. Only an administrator's decision confirming manipulation or poor operation and attributing responsibility to the club can reduce the score: 5 points for a minor case or 15 for a serious case, capped at 30 in total for 90 days from the decision. Revocation immediately removes the reduction. A fraudulent user review does not penalize the victim club; normally rejecting a request counts as a response.

What Cannasys Maps is and is not

Cannasys Maps is an informational and educational directory of cannabis associations in Spain, aimed exclusively at people aged 18 and over. We bring the listings together in a single directory with their city, their atmosphere, their amenities and the reviews of other members, so that you can compare calmly and contact the club directly.

• We do not sell: we do not sell or facilitate access to cannabis or to any other product, and we do not publish product prices, menus or strains.
• We are not an association: Cannasys Maps is not a club and is not part of any: we are an information service independent of the clubs that appear in the directory.
• We do not act as intermediaries: we do not handle memberships, we do not process sponsorships and we cannot influence a club's decision on your application.
• 18+ only: the whole directory is aimed at people of legal age; the content is not intended for minors.

Frequently asked questions

What is a cannabis club in Spain?

It is a private, non-profit association of adults, with its own statutes and bodies, whose activity is organised among members and not towards the general public. It is not a shop and does not sell to the public.

Is a cannabis club the same as a coffeeshop?

No. The Dutch coffeeshop model, where any adult walks in and buys, does not exist in Spain. A club is a private association that you access as a member, not an establishment open to the public.

Can I get into a club if I am visiting the city?

Just turning up is not enough. Access depends on being admitted as a member and on the rules of each association, which decides whom it admits. Nobody can guarantee you entry.

What is the membership fee?

It is the regular contribution of a member, set by the club's internal rules, and it serves to sustain the association's costs. It is not a product price and it is not a payment to Cannasys Maps: using the directory is free.

What is the sponsorship and why am I asked for it?

Sponsorship is the introduction by someone who is already a member and vouches for the person joining; it comes from the private character of the association. Some clubs always require it and others are flexible. Sponsorship that is sold is a warning sign.

What does the “Verified” seal mean?

That we have reviewed and approved two of the club's documents: its statutes and its entry in the Register of associations. It is our own seal, not an official one, referring to those documents as of the date of the review, and it guarantees neither quality nor admission.

Does Cannasys Maps sell cannabis or arrange membership of a club?

No. Cannasys Maps is an informational directory: we do not sell or facilitate access to any product, we are not an association and we do not act as intermediaries in membership. The decision always belongs to the club.

From what age can the directory be used?

The directory is aimed exclusively at people aged 18 and over, just like the associations that appear in it.