Madrid, Spain

Smoking tolerance level [1= very illegal 5=virtually legal]: 4.5

Legislation: Spain’s constitution gives considerable protection to what people do in the privacy of their homes.”

“The Spanish law says that personal behavior in a private place, and this includes private land and outbuildings, is protected by the constitution,” “The controversial issues are that police are allowed to determine if what you are doing is personal or if it is meant for distribution, which is illegal, and they are also allowed to arrest you if your cannabis activities or possession are outside of your private domain.”

ARSEC – the country’s premier marijuana legalization organization

Law Enforcement: Madrid police do not have a single coordination set-up to attend foreign visitors either as victims or as detainees. The city police (“Guardia Urbana”) say they will, in such cases, contact the respective embassies. The “Policia Nacional”, charged with public order, have the habit of bringing all foreigners they pick up, to their “comisaría” on Madrazos street in the city centre.

I smoked in my hotel room, on my balcony, in the clubs, in the bars, on the street, and in various public places. Never once was i bothered.

Where to Buy Marijuana in Madrid: Here is the latest info: “just outside of the metro stop in Retrio Park. Make eye contact with any black dudes posted up, they are friendly and speak more English than most of the local, he’ll tell you to go sit on the park bench and from there you can haggle. The dudeman i dealt with was there every day 1 to 2. ”

another recent report is: ” I went to Parque del Retiro, entering by Calle de Alcala. After being in the park for about ten seconds I made eye contact with a guy who was standing with two others. He and I walked down the path…I asked him for twenty, and he said forty. I said twenty, and again he said forty. I said no, twenty. Then he said thirty and I said okay. I couldn’t get a good sniff as it was wrapped so tight, but I took my chances, and I’m glad to say: Damn good hash…probably about four grams.”

and:

” I followed the tips on this website and took the metro to Retiro Park around 7pm on a Wednesday night. Just as was listed in the report as soon as I got into the tunnel, there was a West African leaning against the wall. My eyes lit up in anticipation and excitement as I could not believe how easy i was to find. I looked directly at the West African he nodded and I nodded back. By this point I was tingling and fluttering slightly. Was he the real deal? Was he just trying to rip me off? Were the cops around? At that point we started walking down the tunnel and negotiating.”

and also:

there are usually guys selling hash in Retiro Park. Look near the tunnel at the north end of the park that leads from the park to the “Retiro” metro stop. If you don’t want to ask someone, just walk around near the tunnel making eye contact with people. Watch out for the cops on horses!

at or around Lavapies square; in calle (=street) Graviña and other alleys of the Malasaña quarter around Plaza Dos de Mayo; or the neighbouring streets leading towards the Granvía avenue near the Telefónica building, which is the area with the worst reputation. “This last zone is where the risks of a rip-off are really serious for hash users,” says an insider. “You get offers at some 500 pesetas per gram that you’d better not ask what it is composed of; while at other places, the prices asked may go up to 1000-1500 pesetas per gram for the real good stuff. And then, far from the city centre at the outskirts of Vallecas quarter, you can find any sort of stuff at the places people have come to call “drugs supermarkets” in slums like La Rosilla or Pozo del Huevo – but those sure are risky zones.”

The immigrant-dominated area around Lavapies square sports an information centre run by a private association for weed lovers called AMEC, at calle Salitre, 23. A similar, nationwide information provider can be found on the web at www.canamo.net. Also, a local magazine offered (January, 2001) a cell-phone number for “tips, tricks and contacts” given as 906 42 39 38, which might situate the enterprising owner anywhere in Spain.

Marijuana prices: He first offered me what sounded like 3.5 grams of Hash for 50 Euros. Well I am only in Spain for 3.5 days and this seemed like alot of Hash for a lot of Money. We hasseled over price and weight and he finally pulled what looked look a large bullet from an upper lining in the tunnel. I looked it over once and gave it a quick smell and it semed legit. We agreeed on 40 Euros, but it was a lot of Hash. Would proabably last me 3 to 4 weeks in the US and I am a wake and baker.

Marijuana brands: 10 euro a gram

others said:

He claimed it was some really good Pakistani Hash and I tend to believe him as it tasted alot like an Afghan/Indian/Pakistani Indica. It was very smooth and tasty with a hint of fresh pine and really did the trick. Came on quite strong and fast.

More information: I could not find a pipe of any sort anywhere I looked so I bought some rolling papers. I do not smoke Tobacco so I attempted to roll a straight hash joint. It took a few tries and some experiments with a glass from the hotel bathroom but I finally was able to break it up into tiny pieces ans roll a nice joint that burned really slow and strong. I got 4 smokes off of it that day and night.

Webehigh’s City Tour: Madrid is the only capital in Europe where astounding traffic jams are apt to occur around midnight, when Spaniards and visitors flock to the centre. At any time of the year, you may then suddenly find yourself bottled up on Madrid’s broadest north-south avenue (the Castellana) or in a small side street, struggling alongside many other pleasure-seekers to reach or leave the entertainment hangouts. Nightlife is the one public activity that seems to absorb most energy in this city, and it comes in all sorts and sizes.

Except on the few midwinter occasions when the weather is not inviting, sidewalks will be over flown with people talking, strolling, taking out their drink from -or listening to the music thumping out of- their favorite “bar” or “cafe” often also because inside, the noise has once more become deafening.

The soft drugs scene too is mostly an “after dark” affair. But not exclusively. Some afternoons –that is, after five P.M. when Madrid’s “lunchtime” is winding up!— a few dealers can already be seen at their usual places. That is, at or around Lavapies square; in calle (=street) Graviña and other alleys of the Malasaña quarter around Plaza Dos de Mayo; or the neighbouring streets leading towards the Granvía avenue near the Telefónica building, which is the area with the worst reputation. “This last zone is where the risks of a rip-off are really serious for hash users,” says an insider. “You get offers at some 500 pesetas per gram that you’d better not ask what it is composed of; while at other places, the prices asked may go up to 1000-1500 pesetas per gram for the real good stuff. And then, far from the city centre at the outskirts of Vallecas quarter, you can find any sort of stuff at the places people have come to call “drugs supermarkets” in slums like La Rosilla or Pozo del Huevo – but those sure are risky zones.”

In the whole country, the limit of the quantity judges will accept as meant for private use (thus, not criminally penalised if carried around) is 80 grams. However, since 1992 the Spanish law does punish what it defines as “tenencia en lugar público”, meaning having possession of the stuff –and even more, if one is seen smoking a stickie- in a public park, a bar, on the train or anywhere outside a private room. This calls for “administrative action”, meaning that police will confiscate the stuff and the provincial governor will impose a fine of anywhere between 50.000 and 500.000 pesetas.

That is where Spain’s great variation game starts. Barcelona and, up to an extent, Bilbao, are considered to be more tolerant. But in Madrid, and most other cities or provinces where the conservatives are in power since the early nineties, the fines will go into the higher reaches quite fast. There too, police will often be lying in ambush outside entertainment places (like disco’s with a penchant for the sort of house music known in Spain as “bakalao”), to catch youngsters carrying some stuff.

Madrid police do not have a single coordination set-up to attend foreign visitors either as victims or as detainees. The city police (“Guardia Urbana”) say they will, in such cases, contact the respective embassies. The “Policia Nacional”, charged with public order, have the habit of bringing all foreigners they pick up, to their “comisaría” on Madrazos street in the city centre.

If the police consider a detainee to be really a seller, and hand him/her over to the courts, stiff penalties are to be expected. Current prison sentences range from 4 to 6 years for soft drugs sales, and a few years more if it is proven that the culprit has introduced minors to the habit; big-scale traffickers get sentenced to over 10 years, plus fines of 5000 US dollars and more.