According to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Morocco remains one of the world’s largest producers of cannabis resin with an annual production of 2,500 to 3,000 tons.

The report showed that a portion of this production is made available to international trafficking networks targeting essentially European markets and having as their point of departure the north of Morocco.

Over the years, the production and trafficking of cannabis have passed from the status of an isolated criminal activity to that of a practice deeply rooted in social reality, encouraged for many years by the laxity and complicity of the Makhzen.

This observation is substantiated by the EU Drug Market 2025 report emanating from the European Union Drugs Agency, which recorded the seizure of 551 tonnes of cannabis resin in recent years, alongside over 265,000 separate operations resulting in the confiscation of other drug varieties.

According to the same source, cannabis originating from Morocco represented the largest share of drugs intercepted during these operations.

The report identified the Spanish coastline as the most significant transit corridor for drug shipments entering Europe from the south.

In 2021, Spain seized approximately 672 tons of cannabis resin produced in Morocco, which has become one of the focal points of international drug trafficking networks.

The European Drug Report 2025 and the Global Organized Crime Index 2025 revealed that trafficking networks linked to Morocco rely on a complex logistical base and multiple circuits for the routing of drugs towards Europe, which represents a threat to the stability of the entire region.

This trade generates colossal financial gains, which in turn fuel other criminal activities such as money laundering and illicit trade, thereby reinforcing the development of organized crime and further complicating the security challenges facing the region.

Drug trafficking, informal economy It is difficult to understand the expansion of drug trafficking without taking into consideration the parallel economy’s role in Morocco, as cannabis cultivation represents one of the key components of this economy in a vast region of the country’s north.

According to UN data, cannabis cultivation spans a surface of 37,000 hectares and feeds 140,000 families in Morocco.

According to The Global Organized Index 2025 Report, organized crime is on the rise in Morocco, with organized crime increasing in activities related to drug trafficking.

The impact of this scourge goes beyond Moroccan borders and affects neighboring countries, including Algeria. According to the National Defence Ministry, the units of the People’s National Army (PNA) foiled several attempts to introduce drugs through western borders in 2025.

In just one week, 1.8 tons of cannabis were seized, in addition to large quantities of cocaine and psychotropic tablets, demonstrating the existence of an organized network of drug trafficking targeting the region’s youth. This reality calls for strengthened regional cooperation to address this scourge that poses a major security challenge.

Morocco emerges as global narcotics hub, threatening neighboring countries