Round Up The Usual Suspects! Casablanca Police Foil International Cannabis Trafficking Operation

The police in Casablanca aborted an international drug trafficking attempt at the weekend, according to a statement released Monday by Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security (DGSN). The suspect was using a car with false plates in his attempt to traffic three tons of cannabis. 

The operation is part of Morocco’s security approach to fighting crimes, including drug trafficking and organized cross-border crimes.

World's Largest Cannabis Producer

Morocco, the world's largest producer of cannabis resin according to the UN, adopted a law in 2021 authorizing "the legal uses of medical, cosmetic and industrial cannabis." The law seeks to protect farmers against illicit trafficking by cracking down on those involved in Morocco’s multi-billion-dollar illicit cannabis production and distribution.

In June 2022, Morocco officially became one of the first African countries to permit the use of cannabis for medical purposes. The change was meant to tap into a growing global market for legal cannabis and to improve the situation for farmers in Morocco's impoverished Rif region where cannabis has grown for decades.

Minister of Interior Abdelouafi Laftit recently participated in the first meeting of the Cannabis Activities Regulatory Agency (ANRAC), a watchdog organization seeking to manage Morocco’s export-oriented cannabis industry, opening the door to companies registered in the North African country to apply for a marketing license, export license, or import license. 

Cannabis Tourism

Cannabis tourism, which has existed since at least the 1960s, has grown to become an important and dominant source of wealth for growers, sellers as well as unofficial tour guides. 

Nevertheless, Police Have Their Hands Full

Morocco's DGSN is keeping busy, what with all the tourists coming back. The agency handled nearly 90,000 cases related to the possession and trafficking of drugs in 2021 that resulted in the authorities sending 103,589 people to court, including 261 foreigners.

During the same year, the DGSN seized nearly 200 tons of weed, which is among of the most consumed substance in Morocco, so it's not just the tourists who are keeping the police busy.

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