Drugs — Spain
What travelers need to know about drugs in Spain. What is legal at home can be a serious crime here — each rule links to its official source.
Drugs in Spain: prohibited — what is legal at home can be a serious crime here.
Using or carrying any illegal drug in public in Spain is a serious offence under the national Citizen Security Law, even a small amount that is only for your own use. It applies in streets and other public places, in bars and other establishments open to the public, and on public transport, and dropping used drug paraphernalia in those places is covered too. Growing drug plants where the public can see them, and driving people somewhere so they can get drugs, are also serious offences. This law deals with personal possession and use as an administrative matter with heavy fines; possession intended for trafficking falls under the Criminal Code instead.
Consuming or possessing illegal drugs in public places, establishments or public transport, even when not intended for trafficking, is a serious infraction (Ley Orgánica 4/2015, art. 36.16), fined 601 to 30,000 euros; the lowest band is 601 to 10,400 euros (art. 39.1). The drugs and the items used can be confiscated (art. 39.2.b). Visible cultivation (art. 36.18) and transporting people to obtain drugs (art. 36.17) are serious infractions with the same fine range when they are not crimes.
§ Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado - Ley Orgánica 4/2015, de 30 de marzo, de protección de la seguridad ciudadana, texto consolidado (última actualización 23/02/2021), arts. 36 y 39Verified Sep 22, 2026