The End Of An Era…
The word is out, Spannabis has announced that it’s time in Barcelona has come to an end. While the event will continue in Bilbao, the de facto capital of Basque Country, the international cannabis community has been left in shock. Spannabis held it’s first event in Bilbao in the fall of 2024 and will host the 23rd edition of the world’s biggest cannabis fair the weekend of April 17th-19th, 2026. Which makes this years events feel extra special for those making the trip. 2024 seemed to be a difficult year for the roughly 200 cannabis social clubs in Barcelona, including raids on various shops during the week of Spannabis. While it’s clear that times are changing, what does that mean for the future of the almost $68.5 billion dollar global cannabis market that relies on events like these? Iconic industry events like Dab-A-Doo and Full Moon Sesh have expanded into Central and South America, The International Cannabis Business Conference already hosts an annual gathering in Berlin, and with new events like Buds and Beats debuting in Switzerland it’s exciting to think about the places this plant can take us.
It’s easy to get caught up in the competition buzz, what strains are trending in the shops, trying to get your hands on the most exclusive terps or simply the magic Spannabis has brought to Barcelona every year. It’s also easy to forget that things like smoking in public and getting caught with cannabis on the street can be more dangerous than some of us realize. On the flip side, the sense of community feels so much stronger. As I have said in the past, it takes me back to the days of Prop 215 when the love for the plant and the preservation of the lifestyle surrounding it were at the helm of our fight for acceptance. These days marketing gimmicks have a tendency to speak louder than the products they are meant to serve. Even aboard, labels like “California weed” and “American genetics” can raise the price of a gram of flower or a pack of seeds substantially. “Hype” aside, one of the most significant differences between the American events I have attended and Spannabis is what people end up walking away with at the end of the weekend. I’m not talking about the breeders, influencers or entrepreneurs who help make these events so significant to being with. I’m talking about the people these events were meant to serve, people who grow weed. As someone who grew up in Northern California I am lucky enough to have always had access to some of the best flower in the world. For me learning to grow weed was part of the natural progression of my career in cannabis. For others it can be the safest and surest way to get their hands on the types of products people like me take for granted. It provides a certain perspective that can easily be overlooked when things like consumerism take center stage at most mainstream cannabis events. There are mixed emotions as I get ready to leave for my last trip to Spannabis and Bercelona. One on hand I am very grateful to have been able to attend so many of these events over the years, and I am sure I will return to Barcelona before I know it. As someone who values travel in general it's easy for me to say that cost of going to somewhere like Spannabis is worth the price. Part of me hopes that this will be the push I need to adventure to a new part of the world that celebrates cannabis as much as I do. I wonder where I will end up next. State-Side Events Inspired By Spannabis
SF Space Walk
San Francisco is the birth place of medical marijuana, the first place to celebrate 4/20 and the and the home of hippie hill. In 2023 the city worked in collaboration with the community to throw a 4/20 celebration for the books. Erykah Badu preformed and there was even a $40k prize for the best Zkittlez in town. In 2024 Leafly Senior Editor David Downs took it one step further with the introduction of SF Weed Week which featured one of the coolest events I have ever attended, the Get to the Bag art show.
There seems to be no slowing down for the team behind the the week-long celebration. The 2025 schedule is shaping up well and with the addition of SF Hash Week and Terpnami, this could be another one of those global events that brings together people from all over the world. It’s already making serious waves. David Downs is optimistic about the future. “We had over 5,000 RSVPs to year one of SF Weed Week and we can get to 10,000 this year for SF Space Walk and keep growing each year for a long time.” David and I crossed paths in Barcelona a few times. There is nothing like leaving your favorite social club, after smoking some fine Moroccan hash, to find yourself some dinner in The Gothic Quarter when you run into a bunch of friends doing the same thing. “Spannabis is so dope. The architecture, food, clubs, herb and friends all combine to make something magic. San Francisco has all those elements as well and that’s why I knew we could conjure some of that magic in SF.” Make sure you stay connected and hope to see you at a future event!
The New York Growers Cup
I met Ben Gilbert in 2023 at a social club during Spannabis week. We had a mutual friend and got to chatting and became instant friends. We connected again a year later when he returned to Spain with The New York Wave including the other co-founders of The New York Growers Cup cultivation partners Sensi Cult & The Kolektor. They collaborated with Doja BCN to host an event, Meet The New York Wave. This past winter I went to New York to show my new friends some love and see what the New York Growers Cup was all about. It definitely did not disappoint. Not only is an East Coast winter something special in itself, but add the energy of a new recreational market and the excitement of competition and you have the start of something great. The attention to detail really took it to the next level. These guys had the coolest trophies on the scene, custom Rip Tips stashed in a lucky few goodie bags, attendees even got to sample some of the cup entries with three 1.5g samples they could look up in the beautifully done New York Growers Cup program. I left feeling like I witnessed something truly special.
Ben and his team are making strides into the recreational market and keep folks up to date on all things New York cannabis policy on their podcast I Smoke New York. “With lounge licensing coming to New York in the near future, we have a lot to learn from the Spanish social club model.” Ben says as we discuss our travels to Barcelona “It’s incredibly valuable for New Yorkers to see the variety of different smoking clubs in Europe, how they operate, and what can be adapted for the future of NYC.” Sensi, who was making his first trip to Spannabis, found the entire experience to be inspiring “I was impressed with how much culture was embedded in the actual event. In my experience, going to large cannabis events in the states is always filled with more of the "suit" types and I couldn't help but leave those events feeling that they were, and still believe they are a total waste of time. Quite the opposite with Spannabis, there's tons of community.” As New York finds it’s way in the world of legal weed, I hope to see that sense of community continue to prevail.
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Authorstoneyxochi. 33 year old California native. proud pothead, Mexicana and woman. Archives
February 2024
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