Marijuana Laws
As recorded December 15, 2025 · not verified as current law. Spain law
Cannabis laws in Canary Islands follow Spain’s national law. City-level policy rarely changes cannabis legality; jurisdiction law determines legal risk.
Medical cannabis is regulated and available. Recreational use is illegal under the law. In practice, small amounts for personal use often result in administrative fines rather than criminal charges, while public use carries greater risk.
Quick facts
- Recreational: Illegal (personal use often decriminalized)
- Medical: Available
- Possession: Small personal amounts often fined
- Buying/Selling: Illegal
- Tourists: Subject to the same laws as residents
Practical guidance
Avoid cross-border transport of cannabis products. Do not assume informal tolerance equals legality.
Law Enforcement
Private use and public smoking were treated differently. Smoking in public could draw an administrative fine. People talked about two ounces as the line between confiscation or a fine and criminal charges, and thought prison terms for sale or growing for sale were lighter than in the U.S. The newer Marijuana Laws section explains the distinction without treating that weight as a rule.
Where to Buy Marijuana
I was in downtown Las Palmas when a guy tried to sell me something else in Spanish. I asked for hash. We took a taxi a couple of kilometers out, which I paid for, and he offered €20 for ten grams if he could keep half to resell.
“It was the crappiest hash I’ve ever seen.” For that price, I didn’t mind too much.
The resorts treated me better. Outside the bars and clubs in Puerto Rico and Playa del Inglés there seemed to be somebody selling coke or hash. At €6 a gram the Moroccan hash was pretty good, A-level stuff.
Marijuana Prices
€20 per ten grams for really poor hash, before the middleman’s cut. Better resort hash ran €5–10 a gram.
Types of Marijuana
Moroccan hash was everywhere, from the poorest I’d seen to very good double-zero. It came down to who you met.