In the small town of Garray in Soria province, the company Ondara has completed the first stage of industrial cultivation of medical cannabis. This milestone follows four years of preparation, investment, and complex negotiations with government authorities. However, despite obtaining licenses, the company is not allowed to sell its crop within Spain—local laws still prohibit the use of psychoactive cannabis strains for medical purposes.
Ondara has become one of the few companies in the country to obtain official approval to cultivate cannabis with a high content of psychoactive compounds for medical use. The first commercial harvest was gathered in July 2025, paving the way for regular production. However, all products are intended for export—primarily to the United Kingdom and Australia, where such medications are already legalized and in demand in the pharmaceutical sector.
Spain still lags behind other European countries in regulating medical cannabis. Although morphine-based medications are available by prescription, the use of cannabis for treatment remains prohibited. This creates a paradoxical situation: it is legal to grow and produce medical cannabis in the country, but Spanish patients cannot purchase it.
Medical cannabis is used to relieve chronic pain, particularly in cases where other medications prove ineffective or cause serious side effects. In Spain, access to cannabis is limited to closed clubs, but this option is available only to a select few and does not address the broader issue of access to therapy.
The story of Ondara began with the purchase of the large greenhouse complex Aleia Roses, which had previously specialized in growing premium roses. After an unsuccessful attempt to maintain the flower business, the company decided to shift its focus to a promising new field — the production of medical cannabis. This transition was challenging: due to a lack of revenue and delays in obtaining permits, Ondara was forced to reduce its staff from 250 to 60 employees, with most of the workforce placed on temporary layoff (ERTE).
Refitting the greenhouses and creating new production areas required an investment of 6 million euros. The most difficult stage was securing all the necessary permits: first for growing test batches, then for producing active pharmaceutical substances. It was only in the summer of 2023 that Ondara obtained certificates of compliance and official manufacturer status. In 2025, the company secured an increase in production quotas, allowing it to launch a new production schedule and gradually bring employees back to work.
The first commercial harvest was obtained using clones of mother plants. At the initial stage, the project employs around 12 staff members, but as production volumes grow, Ondara plans to rehire most of its former team. The main product—dried cannabis inflorescences—will be supplied to pharmaceutical companies for further processing. In Spain, such medicines are not yet approved for sale, so the entire output will be exported.
The cultivation and sale of industrial hemp (cannabis with low THC content) are permitted in the country and used, for example, to produce relaxing teas. However, psychoactive strains remain illegal. Despite this, interest in medical cannabis in Spain is growing, and the number of specialized clubs and shops offering legal cannabidiol (CBD) products is increasing.
The situation with Ondara clearly illustrates the contradictions in Spanish law: the company can legally cultivate and produce medical cannabis, but is not permitted to sell it on the domestic market. Until new legislation is adopted, Spanish patients will be deprived of access to modern therapies, and domestic producers will be forced to focus on foreign markets.
