ABOUT US
HQ BARCELONA IS A PRIVATE SOCIAL CLUB THAT OPENED ITS DOORS IN 2014 AND HAS PROVIDED ITS MEMBERS WITH SECRET SERVICES EVER SINCE.
ALSO KNOWN AS THE HOUSE OF PLANTS, HQ IS A HOME AWAY FROM HOME FOR STONERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, WHERE PEOPLE CAN MEET EACH OTHER, SMOKE AND CHILL.
IN 2024, THE CLUB IS CELEBRATING ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY. AFTER A DECADE OF CULTIVATING A WORLDWIDE, SELECT FAMILY, HQ IS STILL BURNING AND HAS BECOME AN ETERNAL FLAME IN THE CANNABIS COMMUNITY.
FROSTY HASH INTERVIEWING HQ OWNER DAVID MADILYAN FOR SKUNK MAGAZINE
FH: WHEN DID YOU FIRST FOUND HQ BARCELONA AND WHY?
DM: I FOUNDED HQ BARCELONA IN 2013 COMING BACK FROM A LONG ONE-YEAR TRIP TO ASIA & MONTENEGRO. I CAME BACK TO BARCELONA, WHERE I’VE NOW BEEN LIVING FOR 21 YEARS. I HAD ONE YEAR OF LIVING IN ASIA AND INDONESIA, BALI… THEN I WAS WORKING ON SOME PROJECT IN MONTENEGRO, AND THEN I CAME BACK, WITH A CLEAR IDEA OF MAKING IT HAPPEN BECAUSE BACK IN 2011 AND 2012 WHEN I WAS ON MY TRIP, I CAME BACK TO BARCELONA FOR A QUICK VISIT AND MY FRIENDS WERE LIKE: “HEY DUDE, THIS SOCIAL CLUB, CANNABIS CLUB, IS BEGINNING, AND WE COULD BE THE FIRST ONES TO OPEN.” I WAS LIKE: “IS THIS FUCKING REAL?”
WHEN I UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE WAS A PLACE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, I JUST MADE IT HAPPEN. SO I CAME BACK IN 2013. WE STARTED ALL THE LEGAL PAPERWORK, AND WE FOUND HQ. WHY DID I DO IT? BECAUSE THAT WAS MY DREAM. IT WAS ALL A DREAM. IT’S JUST LIKE THAT, LIKE A DREAM. I WAS BORN IN THE SOVIET UNION IN MOSCOW IN AN ARMENIAN FAMILY, AND BACK IN THE DAYS IN THE ‘90S, I REMEMBER BEING IN UNIVERSITY WHEN WE WERE ALREADY SMOKING IN THE BACKYARD, AND THEY WERE ASKING: “WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH YOUR FUTURE?” BECAUSE I WAS STUDYING TO BE A LAWYER, I WAS LIKE AN INTERNATIONAL LAW STUDENT, AND I WAS LIKE: “YEAH, I WANT TO DO THIS, AND I WANT TO DO THAT… YEAH, I’M GOING TO OPEN A COFFEE SHOP.” EVERYBODY WAS LAUGHING AT ME LIKE: “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? SHUT UP. COME ON.”
SO YEAH, I’VE ALWAYS WANTED IT, AND THIS IS WHAT I REALLY BELIEVED I WANTED TO DO. LIKE, THIS IS THE REAL MOMENT WHEN WHAT YOU DO IS REALLY WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO IN YOUR LIFE. AND I’M SO BLESSED AND HAPPY TO FEEL THIS, TO BE PART OF IT, YES? THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND EVERY DAY I’M COMING TO MY WORKPLACE, AND I’M LIKE: “HEY, IS THIS REAL?” SO WE’VE BEEN HERE TEN YEARS ALREADY, AND I’M STILL ASKING MYSELF HOW WE MADE IT HAPPEN? IT’S VERY, VERY, VERY LIKE, HEART TOUCHING? I DON’T KNOW HOW TO SAY, LIKE, OVERWHELMING. YES, LIKE THAT.