On The Road To Spannabis: Part 2
Heavy hits and misses at Spain's largest cannabis conference
Hi everyone,
Sorry for the delay. Spain has a relaxed cultural attitude towards work, so I decided to fit in “like a local” by taking advantage of siesta and returning email responses if/when I felt like it. Case in point: La Sagrada Familia is still under construction and it might be finished in 2026 (allegedly).
This year marked the 20th anniversary of Spain’s cannabis conference, Spannabis, which is wild that this has managed to exist so long considering the country’s remarkably confusing cultivation and consumption policies. In Spain, cannabis just *magically* appears: it can’t be commercially grown, but it’s also not governmentally regulated or penalized. The epitome of “smoke ‘em if you’ve got ‘em.”
Catalonia, in particular, has a more liberal history of cannabis acceptance compared to the rest of the country, with the first private cannabis clubs opening back in 2001 along with a decriminalized policy for possession and home grow. Budtenders hawk unlabeled flower by the ounce—kind of charming if you appreciate an old school approach to buying weed, but without any of the transparency or product control that buyers have come to expect with regulation. The quality is somewhat negligible because of that and comes with a higher price tag than it really deserves.
For those reasons, cannabis was somehow everywhere and nowhere at Spain’s largest cannabis conference. Event goers walked joint-in-hand through the hazy, cloud-filled halls, yet none of it was for sale—except seeds, topicals, edibles, and accessories. If you’re an industry insider, chances are that you showed up with cannabis magically appearing inside your luggage or had a contact that brought you some. Either way, while some of the booths did have product for testing, it’s better to arrive a day earlier to swing by a cannabis club to purchase product if you don’t want to show up empty-handed.
Therein lies another issue: the clubs are private. There’s paperwork, including paying an annual fee (around 20€) and having a co-signer that’s an existing member—challenging if you have no stoner friends in Barcelona. It’s a pretty big commitment that requires careful planning, particularly if you’re only in town for a short stay. So, I hesitate to say, “You can go club hopping here, here, and here” because it’s not like the coffeeshops in Amsterdam in that respect or the dispensaries in legal states in the U.S. Reaching out in advance via email or Instagram direct message to make arrangements in advance may help, but even then it’s not guaranteed. In short: if you want weed in Barcelona, you still have to work for it a little bit.
All that said, the actual conference was impressively large and had an entrance fee of only 25€ for a one-day; 50€ for a three-day pass (though every Catalonian local I spoke with seemed skeptical about paying that). Compared to the Emerald Cup that goes for $65 to $120 before service and facility fees, I thought it was entirely reasonable for an industry event open to the general public, unlike the majority of trade shows that require hefty application processes and fees for buyers and vendors alike. Besides, I’m not exaggerating when I reiterate that the show was massive.
Divided among four buildings, the conference featured 500 exhibitors and was attended by a crowd of over 25,000 at the Fira Cornellà exhibition hall. It had infinitely more personality than any other cannabis industry event that I’ve been to, and the consumer-facing aspect was a smart strategy that would probably benefit legal states—particularly the generous on-site consumption policy.
Because it was a cannabis conference, people watching was obviously the biggest draw, with the deep discounts on premium accessories at wholesale prices being the second. The parties were another draw, of course, but seeing as I was a little more invested in doing other cultural activities, I didn’t invest much effort here, opting to skip the parties at Terpy’s, The Green Boutique, and Doja Club to do other stuff (expect a different guide for that). I did make it to NPK Barcelona—the only club blessed with an outdoor terrace—allowing me to maximize my time enjoying the nice weather and doing other things beyond sitting in an upscale trap house for three days in Barcelona. Bonus: you can buy wine and beer, something you can’t do at the coffee shops in Amsterdam.
If you want weed in Barcelona, you still have to work for it a little bit.
Spannabis tended to skew male, which meant product innovation and branding left much to be desired (sorry, boys. Just a fact). Cheesy graphics are still very much alive and well, and small things like asking for the mouthpiece to be cleaned before I used it made me feel like a diva, even though that’s just proper sanitation. It’s the one place that you’ll find corporate guys in polos, heavy hitters decked out in their finest streetwear, and the occasional guy wearing tie-dye and mushrooms with a cavalier philosophy about walking around a convention hall barefoot with a joint in his mouth like the Big Lebowski. Only a handful of woman-owned brands were present, so I picked up lighters and stickers from Girl Seeds. If there were any rainbows, I didn’t see them. So, that should give you an idea of the vibe.
Speaking of: Did you know that in 2022, only 2% of VC investment went to women-founded companies, and just 15% of VC ‘check-writers’ are women. Join Work'N'Roll and The CannaDiva on March 21st from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Girls Just Wanna Have FUND$, a day of education, support and empowerment, as we pave the way towards fundraising success, together. The event will cover:
• Financial Terms 101
• Pitch Deck Essentials
• Investor Insights
• Entrepreneurial Resilience
• Makeup touch-ups and headshots
Overall, it was a very cool event that mostly served as a colorful excuse to go to Barcelona. The large show out also felt incredibly symbolic during a time when places like Thailand are overturning their recreational weed laws while slow-moving bureaucratic policies are stunting the growth of consumption facilities stateside. Allowing struggling vendors to get their product in front of the people who lack access and exposure amid social media bans opens opportunities for would-be future professionals and enthusiasts to network and try before they buy. And honestly, couldn’t beat the weather—it was a great day to hang in the sunshine among the flowers.
Best of Spannabis 2024
Because it combined a trade show with a consumer festival, a good chunk of the booths were useless to the average person—unless they are flirting with the idea of getting into home growing or the commercial space—so that one day was more than enough. Still, there were plenty of good finds if you knew where to look. Here are a few of the top picks:
SABER electronic dab tool by Focus V
Say goodbye to gunky dab tools! This electronic dab tool is a complete game changer for dab heads: a sleek, handheld pen charged using USB-C that heats concentrate quickly with 3 power levels so that your material is ready to go as soon as it hits the rig and slides off so there’s no messy residue.
Most of the expected paper players were in attendance such as OB and RAW (where were you, Rizla+?!), but this Dutch brand was new to me—as well as many locals I spoke with—even though they’ve been around for 75 years. Small, super thin, slow burning, and made of 100% organic hemp, these papers roll like a dream and come with tear-away tips rolled up into a handy magnetic-closing package.
Woodland pipes by Empire Glassworks
Prefer a classic bowl but want to upgrade to something with a little more personality for your coffee table or glass menagerie (why does this feel unintentionally fitting for Tennessee Williams joke?), these stunning woodland-inspired pipes from Empire Glassworks should be on your radar. Embellished with carefully crafted details like mushrooms, flowers, and forest creatures, these pipes are so pretty you might not even want to smoke out of them (but totally can).
Storz and Bickel products are the Cadillac of weed paraphernalia: expensive, but well-worth the investment if you value your lungs, delivering the smoothest of dry herb hits (some of you may remember I bedazzled a hand-me-down Volcano with a tramp stamp that I sadly lost during a bad break-up). Still, the Volcano is cumbersome, making handheld versions Mighty and Crafty better gateway option for the stoner-on-the-go. The Venty takes these two models up a notch, heating up faster with precision control in a much slimmer design, delivering the same quality you’ve come to expect and love.
This is a Studenglass accessory that I would liken to buying a pasta attachment for a Kitchenaid: you need the base product (the Modul) for it to matter, so I recommend just buying the bundle. The precision control and size make this a better investment than their award winning gravity bong for those who are low on space, and it comes with a carrying case for the traveler who feels comfortable doing that!
Marilyn Monroe papers from G-Rollz
Getting your hands on this limited edition rolling paper combi-pack from G-Rollz requires jumping through a few hoops to find it on some back channel European head shop—so I probably wouldn’t go through the trouble because I’m not that big of a Marilyn fan, but they’re certainly cute! And pink! And made using organic Spanish hemp if you happen to spot them while in Spain.Scratch n sniff rolling papers by Monkey King
So, you’ve snuck out to a back alley to clandestinely hit a joint only to realize your hands reek of weed. Give your hands a rub on these scratch ‘n’ sniff rolling papers from Spain-based brand Monkey King and it can smell like artificial peach or Coca-Cola! I don’t know if that’s a step up, but it’s cool that it exists!
Cannactiva is the closest thing to a recognizable Spanish cannabis brand—though all of it is CBD and hemp-derived—and ships everywhere. This wellness brand gets props for commissioning local artists to dream up limited edition collaborations and making the most use of the plant for hemp fiber clothing on par with forward-thinking U.S. cannabusinesses.
MORE PIPE DREAMS DISPATCHES
On the Road to Spannabis: Part One
Wines, Weeds, and Wheels in Washington State
The 14-hour journey of a Mission-style burrito to NYC and more from the consumption lounge
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