{"id":4911,"date":"2026-05-14T10:54:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T08:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/a-brief-sung-history-of-cannabis-in-spain-1\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T10:57:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T08:57:07","slug":"a-brief-sung-history-of-cannabis-in-spain-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/en\/a-brief-sung-history-of-cannabis-in-spain-1\/","title":{"rendered":"A brief sung history of cannabis in Spain (1)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Now that tens of thousands of patients who use cannabis for its therapeutic virtues are demanding not to have to resort to the black market to buy their medicine, and that several million enthusiasts like us enjoy a variety of herbs and extracts provided through our association, it is worth trying to explain how we got here.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n
With this first article, we begin a three-part series on our Blog in which we will attempt to explain, in a concise and entertaining way, the cannabis history of Spain through the popular songs of each era; songs that vividly portrayed the state of affairs at every moment in our history.<\/h5>\n\n
Throughout these years of summarized history, we will try to understand how we\u2014\u201cstoners,\u201d \u201cmarijuana smokers,\u201d and \u201cjoint lovers\u201d<\/em>\u2014have gone from social stigma to a certain degree of recognition, and how something once considered minority and countercultural has nowadays become more normal and \u201cmainstream\u201d<\/em>.<\/h5>\n\n

Cigarettes of laughter and joints<\/h2>\n\n

We could say that the history of cannabis in Spain truly began during the 1930s, with the first major cannabis importers being the legionnaires and regular troops stationed in Morocco<\/strong>.<\/h5>\n\n
During the Spanish Civil War, the trafficking of grifa (as it was popularly called at the time) from Ketama to the front lines was organized and allowed by the Francoist high command.<\/h5>\n\n
In war, anything goes, and in this way the coup-leading military hierarchs, all reactionary and ultra-conservative, looked the other way because, after all, it helped to keep \u201ctroop morale high.\u201d<\/h5>\n\n
Ultimately, we could say that the history of cannabis in Spain begins with a great contradiction and hypocrisy, but as we already know, that is the most common thing when talking about our beloved plant.<\/h5>\n\n
Thus, the legionnaires were the first to leave evidence in song that grifa was an enjoyable pastime, presenting it as a compelling reason for an Englishman to enlist in the legion:<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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An Englishman who came from London<\/em><\/h5>\n\n
To see if in this great country<\/em><\/h5>\n\n
He could get himself high<\/em><\/h5>\n\n
And in the end he managed to succeed<\/em><\/h5>\n\n
He started out in the big caf\u00e9s<\/em><\/h5>\n\n
What excitement he felt, what a thrill<\/em><\/h5>\n\n
That when the Englishman was high<\/em><\/h5>\n\n
He sang and said this song:<\/em><\/h5>\n\n
Goodbye, alright,<\/em><\/h5>\n\n
I wanting to enlist<\/em><\/h5>\n\n
In Mill\u00e1n Astray\u2019s regiment<\/em><\/h5>\n\n
Where there\u2019s vice and plenty of grifa<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>