The cannabis industry is abuzz in Spring. This is partly due to the impending outdoor growing season, when seeds are planted that we smoke all year long. Another part of the buzz is due to Spannabis. The international weed convention is a beloved staple in the industry. This year, it takes place March 14–16 in Barcelona.
In its twenty-first year, Spannabis now can legally smoke.
I will be on deck with Fast Buds, whose headquarters lies in the heart of Barcelona. I marvel at the history and the impact the city’s Gothic streets have seen. Cannabis is now part of the city’s history. This will be my fourth Spannabis; my company’s founder has attended the show every year since 2010. The industry has grown exponentially since then.
Here’s what you can expect at the international event.
Women run the world
Spending time with the Women in Cannabis group founded by Giuliana Fahi is a breath of fresh air. Fahi changed the way I viewed the weed world as she cultivates safe, brilliant spaces that welcome women in historically male-dominated arenas. Events born for the Women in Cannabis movement include a Puffco-fueled yoga class, a powerful speaker session packed with influential women growers that will be on the main stage at Spannabis this year, plus visionary pop-up sessions and dinners. This is for the ladies who run the weed industry.
Women in Cannabis isn’t the only female-friendly space. This year, Spannabis welcomes the first Mother Cup. Cannabis Hub’s CDays is also an excellent educational event where I’ll be speaking about cannabis media alongside other women: Cannativa’s Polita Peper, a prolific grower from Mexico City; New York’s esteemed hash maker The Dank Duchess; Rebecca Allen from ParaLab; and more. Soak up some positive energy amidst the bustling convention when you can.
Delicious food is everywhere
It wouldn’t be Spannabis without dinner. A late European dinner, to be exact, with decadent, darkly-lit rooms, jamón ibérico, and tapas you won’t find stateside. I recommend making reservations at some of the posher restaurants in town as they tend to fill up this week. This includes the “world’s best restaurant” Disfrutar, Bar Cañete, and the famed El Nacional Barcelona.
For two amazing yet accessible dining experiences, I recommend The Green Spot, a vegetarian restaurant with an in-restaurant garden with fresh herbs. Weed folks love it. I also recommend Xemei, an Italian restaurant with divine scallops, pastas, and wine. It is a truly magical dining experience. Put it on your “stoned in Barcelona” bucket list.
Competitions abound
The Autoflower World Cup is a favorite. Fast Buds’ grower Sebastian Good took home a first-place win in 2024 for his Papaya Cookies Auto. The Fast Buds team also pulled the Best New Sativa winner with a decadent Apricot Auto. I am blown away by all the growers and truly can’t wait to see the impressive jars at this year’s competition.
Other renowned cannabis competitions I look forward to this year include Ego Clash, Full Moon Sesh, Spannabis Champions Cup, Dabadoo, High Secret, Mother Cup, Hash Calabash, and Masters of Rosin, among others. It’s at these events the cannabis entrepreneurs celebrate the flower and hash on which the world runs. You’ll see unique, up-and-coming flavors alongside rare genetics grown by the best in the world. These competitions cannot be missed.
Consumption lounges are the gathering place
Private, members-only consumption lounges are the only safe space to smoke weed in Barcelona. I suggest not smoking on the street as you run the risk of local police ticketing you, or worse. Cannabis is decriminalized but not yet legal for recreational consumption, so you have to be careful. The weed clubs are a stoner’s prayer answered. It’s one innovation this city excels in if you know where to go.
My favorite lounges are privately owned. Keep in mind that while many lounges welcome new members, not all of them do. You have to reach out via Instagram to secure an invitation. The cannabis industry can expect to see celebrated international growers and hash makers popping up at Terps Army, a legendary central club with pool tables and an impressive menu. Another beloved lounge in Barcelona is Uncle’s Farm. It offers a more intimate feel and a highly limited membership. Uncle may not have availability in his club, sorry to say, since his title as the originator of the popular hash method Piattella makes this a hot ticket.
La Crème Gràcia social club is always amazing. I would suggest hitting the Mossy Giant x La Chanvriere x Box Brown exhibition “The Grand History of Cannabis: MEXICO.” I also highly suggest visiting social clubs Terpy, High Class, Girl Seeds Social Club, La Kalada, Growers With Attitude, and HQ. These truly unique gathering places will make you believe in the coffee shop/lounge lifestyle. Consume responsibly and respectfully. Don’t linger at the door.
Community is everything
Spannabis is a community-centered event. Yes, it’s a buzzword. Yes, it’s more crucial than ever before. The cannabis community is real, and its impact is felt here on a massive scale. Judging by the show’s attendance — more than 20,000 visitors last year — and the sheer number of growers in the world, the community is expanding.
Weed is for everybody: young adults, professionals, traumatized millennials, boomers, zoomers, and seniors. The way the plant bridges cultures is breathtaking. You will connect with people you never thought possible, even if you don’t speak Spanish or Catalan. Heavy hitters from Spain, Germany, England, Italy, France, Brazil, Mexico, Africa, and Thailand travel to Spannabis. And they all speak the same language: weed.
Takeaway
Whether this will be your first Spannabis or you’re a seasoned pro, there is always a new adventure to discover. The expansion of inclusive, female-first spaces brings me so much joy. The absolutely bustling showroom floor each year displays to me the heartbeat of a growing worldwide gardening industry. I suggest American cannabis professionals dip their toes in the international waters to feel a sense of hope (and relief). Come pay us a visit if you make it across the pond.
Lindsey Carmela Bartlett began writing in 2012, reporting on the cannabis beat from her hometown of Denver. Today, she’s chief media officer at Fast Buds, an expert on the international weed industry, and a contributor to Insider, Leafly, and the Rolling Stone Culture Council. Her work has been featured in national publications including mg Magazine, Entrepreneur, Benzinga, Forbes, Yahoo, MJBizDaily, and The Denver Post. Bartlett is an alumna of the University of Vermont Pace Plant Biology program’s Cannabis Media Fellowship. She has interviewed Tommy Chong, Cheech Marin, Erykah Badu, Woody Harrelson, Jack Black, Gene Simmons, Tiffany Haddish, Wiz Khalifa, and Seth Rogen— all in the name of culture and cannabis. She writes and grows cannabis from her home in Humboldt County, California.
