Medical cannabis on prescription in Spain.
Spain’s Ministry of Health and the national medicines agency (AEMPS) have established the country’s first statutory framework for prescribed cannabis preparations under Royal Decree 903/2025. Access is strictly controlled, hospital based, and rolling out progressively across Spanish hospital pharmacies from late October 2026.
What Royal Decree 903/2025 changed in Spain
For years, Spain had no legal prescription route for medical cannabis. Patients either travelled abroad or were left without regulated clinical support. Following parliamentary subcommission reviews and formal approval by the Council of Ministers, Royal Decree 903/2025 created Spain's first official statutory pathway.
The law establishes strict regulatory control through Spain's medicines agency (AEMPS). Cannabis is classified as a hospital only medicine: it is formulated by hospital pharmacists and prescribed exclusively by hospital specialists for documented, treatment resistant conditions.
Authorized medical conditions under AEMPS
Spain does not operate a broad "card" or general wellness system. The decree authorizes medical cannabis preparations only for specific clinical scenarios where conventional therapies have failed:
First hospital orders arrive from late October 2026, the rollout is gradual, and most hospitals will not have it yet.
The Three Steps of Hospital Access in Spain
A hospital specialist assesses you
Only hospital specialists can prescribe, for example in a pain unit or neurology. GPs cannot.
Authorized conditions check
They check your case against the authorized conditions, which include chronic pain that has not responded to standard treatment, and need documented clinical justification.
Hospital pharmacy dispensing
The hospital pharmacy prepares and dispenses it. Not a high street pharmacy. Follow up stays with the hospital team.
Not part of this
- Cannabis flowerOnly standardized oils and extracts are permitted under the decree.
- Prescriptions from GPs or general clinicsPrescribing authority is restricted strictly to hospital specialists.
- Collection from community pharmaciesDispensing is handled exclusively by hospital pharmacy units.
Not valid in Spain
- US medical cannabis cardsState cards hold no legal recognition or dispensing validity in Spain.
- UK or German prescriptions used in Spanish pharmaciesForeign prescriptions cannot be dispensed or filled by Spanish hospital pharmacies.
- Anything sold as "medical cannabis" outside a hospital pharmacyCommercial retail or street shops are not authorized prescription providers.
Check how prepared you are before you book
Six straightforward questions. Spanish hospital specialists can only prescribe within statutory clinical criteria. This check shows what documentation you have in place and what you still need to gather.
What medical condition are you hoping to be assessed for?
Under Royal Decree 903/2025, Spain's medicines agency (AEMPS) authorizes hospital specialists to prescribe for specific treatment resistant conditions.
How we help
We are an English speaking guidance service. We can organize and translate medical records, prepare you for the specialist appointment, help you find which hospitals are actually dispensing, and go with you if you want support. We do not prescribe, supply cannabis or promise outcomes. The specialist always decides.
Frequently asked questions
You must be registered within the Spanish healthcare system to be seen by a hospital specialist. This can be through a Spanish public health card (SIP) if you are a resident, or through an authorized private Spanish hospital network if you are a private patient or expat. High street community pharmacies cannot dispense cannabis under any circumstances.
Within the Spanish public health system (Seguridad Social), hospital pharmacy dispensing for approved conditions is heavily subsidized or free of charge to eligible patients. In private hospitals, consultations and pharmacy preparation fees are set by the individual private medical center. Always confirm fee structures directly with your hospital.
No. Royal Decree 903/2025 specifically restricts prescribing authority to hospital medical specialists (such as doctors in hospital pain clinics, neurology, or oncology departments). Your local GP or primary care doctor can, however, issue the official referral to the hospital specialist.
No. Spanish pharmacies are legally prohibited from filling foreign medical cannabis prescriptions. Furthermore, standard high street community pharmacies in Spain cannot dispense medical cannabis at all. You must undergo assessment by a hospital specialist in Spain to receive a Spanish hospital pharmacy order.
The Spanish decree authorizes standardized magistral formulas (standardized cannabinoid oils and standardized oral extracts prepared by hospital pharmacists according to AEMPS monographs). Raw cannabis flower is not included in the statutory decree and cannot be legally prescribed or dispensed in Spanish pharmacies.
They are completely separate legal frameworks. Cannabis social clubs (such as The Unit CSC) are private non profit associations formed under Article 22 of the Spanish Constitution for shared adult consumption in closed premises. They are not medical dispensaries and cannot prescribe. Royal Decree 903/2025 is a formal hospital healthcare framework for patients with refractory clinical conditions.
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules and availability are changing. Last reviewed October 2026.