Morocco remains the biggest cannabis resin producer in the world, even though it has been ranked second in 2015 among the countries with the highest cannabis-cultivating surface eradicated. Thus announces the ODC in its annual report on reviewing the world's drug trafficking. Morocco, alongside Afghanistan and other countries, is still among the world's top hashish producers according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (ODC). In a report published last week, the UN agency has indicated that «Morocco remains the most signaled country among all the member-States, as a cannabis resin place of origin». It is followed by, respectively, Afghanistan, Lebanon, India and Pakistan. The report, which is based on world statistics for 2015, ranks Morocco among the countries which have registered the highest amounts of the product. «The most important quantities seized are reported by Spain, Pakistan, Morocco, followed by Afghanistan and Algeria», the authors state. Morocco also has the second highest surface of cannabis eradicated in 2015. Moreover, the local production remains largely destined towards Europe. «Cannabis resin still enters Europe via smuggling from Morocco and other North African countries, just as Afghanistan keeps exporting towards its neighboring countries, particularly Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran. As well as the direct expeditions of cannabis resin towards Spain from Morocco, and, by land, towards France, Italy, and the Netherlands, a new form of distribution towards other European countries was recently reported». 38,000 hectares produced in 2015 The report indicates indeed that Europol, the European Police force, has signaled an emerging cannabis trafficking route from Morocco towards Libya, before the merchandise is transferred to Italy. A route that is now «either through seaway transportation or by land», according to the document, which insists that Moroccan hashish is not the only drug present on European soil. «Although the ODC and Europol deem that a significant part of the cannabis resin uncovered in Europe originates from Morocco, it seems that Afghan resin is also present, through Albania, often used as a primary distribution center». The ODC recognizes that the Kingdom has made progress, notably in terms of fighting the cultivation and trafficking of cannabis, hence the lower volumes produced. In 2015, the cultivated surface in Morocco amounted to 47,000 hectares, the figure is about 200 hectares lower than the one announced in 2013 (47,196 hectares) and the 52,000 hectares reported in 2012. According to the UN agency's data Morocco has indicated it has eradicated more than 1,147 hectares in 2015, which is the equivalent of 2.4% of the total cultivated surface. Its output remains nevertheless of the world's highest, with a total of 38,000 tons of cannabis resin produced in 2015. In 2015, around a quarter if a billion of people consumed illicit drugs throughout the world. Among these, 29.5 million people – or 0,6% of the world's adult population – would have had problems related to the consumption of drugs, including addition, according to the 20th Edition of the annual report on the world's illicit drug trafficking prepared by the UN agency.
