Cannabis in Morocco has been illegal since the nation's independence in 1956, reaffirmed by a total ban on drugs in 1974, but is partially tolerated in the country, where it has been cultivated for centuries and is still among the world's top producers of hashish. As of 2016, Morocco is the world’s top supplier of cannabis
Though the specific period of cannabis's introduction to Morocco is unclear, it appears to have arrived in the region during the Arab Conquests of the Maghreb, from the seventh to fifteenth centuries. From the sixteenth century it was grown nationwide on a small scale for local use, in gardens and orchards, but it was only in the 18th century that the Rif region in the far north became a noted center of production, as it is in modern times.[2] In 1890, Sultan Hassan I instituted strict regulations on cultivation and trade, but also conferred clear cannabis production privileges on several Rif tribes.[3][2] In the 1950s, the rights of the Rif tribes to cultivate cannabis was reconfirmed, in response to tensions in the restive region.[3] In 1956, with the new independence of Morocco, King Mohammed V prohibited cannabis nationwide.[4]
Internationalization Edit
In the 1960s and 1970s, an influx of young Western tourists had a profound effect on cannabis in Morocco. Prior to this, cannabis was produced in small quantities, and smoked as kief, pollen mixed with black tobacco. In response to massive demand from tourists and smugglers, Moroccans adopted larger-scale techniques to replace artisanal ones.[5] While there are competing legends as to how hashish production was introduced to Morocco, it is widely believed that it happened during this period.[6]
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